Andrea del Verrocchio (Andrea del Verrocchio, real name Andrea di Michele Cioni - Andrea di Michele Choni) (1435, Florence - 1488, Venice) - Italian sculptor and painter of the Renaissance, one of the teachers of Leonardo da Vinci. Borrowed the name from his teacher, the jeweler Verrocchio.
The Baptism of Christ
During the Early Renaissance, artists worked almost exclusively on commission. That is why at that time the role of patrons was so great. This practice was especially widespread in 15th-century Florence, where art workshops carried out any whim of patrons (the production of dishes, architectural projects, and much more). A student who wanted to become an artist first became an apprentice to a master, and only after six years of study could he establish his own workshop. Andrea del Verrocchio specialized in sculpture, but at times also turned to painting. He brought up such geniuses of the Renaissance as Leonardo, Pietro Perugino and Sandro Botticelli. Verrocchio was known as an unsurpassed decorator and director of court festivities. These practical skills, acquired from the teacher, were useful to Leonardo in the future. Tradition says that one of the most striking results of the spiritual union of the student and teacher was the sculpture of David, for which the young Leonardo posed. A kind of half-smile plays on the face of the bronze David, which later became a distinctive feature of Leonardo da Vinci's style. It is likely that Verrocchio created his most impressive sculpture, the 4-meter equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, in collaboration with a brilliant student.
The artist was born and worked for a long time in Florence. In 1465, he created the tombstone of Cosimo de Medici, from 1463 to 1487 he worked on the sculptural composition "Assurance of Thomas", in 1476 he created a statue of David. This graceful bronze statue has become a symbol of the humanist Renaissance culture. It was intended for the Medici villa, but in 1476 Lorenzo and Giuliano transferred it to the Signoria Palace in Florence.
In 1482, Verrocchio left for Venice to work on an equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. The artist died there in 1488, without completing the statue he had begun.
Head of a Girl (study)
The Battle of Pydna
Madonna and child
Saint Monica
Tobias and the Angel
Madonna with Child, c. 1470, Verrocchios's workshop. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Andrea del Verrocchio with the assistance of Lorenzo de Credi, The Virgin and Child with two Angels, about 1476-8
Verrocchio, madonna del latte
Christ and Doubting Thomas
Ideal Portrait of Alexander the Great
Lorenzo de Medici
National gallery in washington d.c., andrea del verrocchio, giuliano de "medici, 1475-78
Putto with Dolphin
March 22nd, 2013
Andrea del Verrocchio (Andrea del Verrocchio, real name Andrea di Michele Cioni - Andrea di Michele Choni, and he took the surname Verocchio from his teacher, the jeweler Verrocchio) (1435, Florence - 1488, Venice) - Italian sculptor and painter of the Renaissance, one of the teachers of Leonardo yes Vinci.
The Florentine Andrea Verrocchio belongs to the galaxy of outstanding masters of the Renaissance. He was not as decisive an innovator as the great sculptors of the first half of the century - and who opened new paths in this art. Verrocchio is not like such a revolutionary in sculpture as Michelangelo, who began working later, on the threshold of the 16th century. The historic site of Verrocchio is more modest, but it is highly worthy of respect. This master is, as it were, one of the links between the two periods of great upsurges in the art of sculpture in the Renaissance. Almost equally justified are the views of those who want to see in him a great pioneer who paved the last paths to the art of the "Golden Age", and those who consider him only a skillful follower of Castagno, Baldovinetti and even an imitator of Sandro Botticelli, who was nine years younger Andrea, but advanced in painting before his friend. Verrocchio is the heir to the creators of Renaissance sculpture, that is, the masters of the first half of the century, and the predecessor of the High Renaissance masters, one of whom (Leonardo da Vinci) was a direct student of Verrocchio.
Andrea del Verrocchio is known to us mainly as a sculptor. In the documents of the XV century, he is never mentioned as a painter. Few of his paintings have been preserved, and among them the only one that quite reliably belongs to him can be considered only the "Baptism of Christ" in the Florentine Academy.
Initially, Andrea was attached to sophisticated decorativeness, as he studied jewelry, he also turned to sculpture, in part because of the fall in demand for jewelry. But it was the hereditary jewelers of the Renaissance, who took up sculpture, had a considerable influence on the development of bronze cast plasticity. They knew how to use chasing and engraving, they knew how to grind metal and understood its specifics, and Verrocchio was one of the best metal connoisseurs. Bronze, with its strength and durability, which makes it possible to finish details with great precision, becomes his main material.
In 1465, Verrocchio created a tombstone for Cosimo de' Medici; the master managed to catch and realize the desire of the duke to perpetuate his name. At the end of this work, he found patrons in the person of representatives of the Medici family - it's like buying a lucky lottery ticket.
Tomb of Cosimo de' Medici. 1465 Andrea del Verrocchio Church of San Lorenzo, Florence
Tombstone over the grave of Cosimo de' Medici. 1465 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Church of San Lorenzo, Florence
The "jewellery" of the artist's sculptural style first appeared in his bronze casting that adorns the tomb of Giovanni and Pietro Medici in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. This early work is an example of exquisite decorativeism.
Tomb of Pietro and Giovanni Medici. 1469-72 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Marble, porphyry, bronze. San Lorenzo, Florence.
In 1476 Andrea del Verrocchio created statue of David- an elegant bronze statue. It was intended for the Medici villa, but in 1576 Lorenzo and Giuliano transferred it to the Signoria Palace in Florence.
The brave young biblical shepherd who defeated the giant and cut off his head is depicted as seeing an elegant, slender young man. With his pose, costume, he resembles a virtuoso dancer from a court ballet rather than a poor shepherd and hero fighter. Verrocchio's skill in arranging the figure and choosing proportions, in finishing surfaces and details is almost of a jeweler's character.
Young David. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio
Young David. Detail. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Bronze. Bargello Museum, Florence.
Young David. Detail. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Bronze. Bargello Museum, Florence.
Young David. Detail. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Bronze. Bargello Museum, Florence.
Tradition says that "David" was one of the most striking results of the spiritual union of Leonardo da Vinci's student and teacher Andrea del Verrocchio - they say, Leonardo himself posed for her. A kind of half-smile plays on the face of the bronze David, according to the same legend - which later became a distinctive feature of the style of Leonardo da Vinci.
In addition to the statue of David, commissioned by Lorenzo Medici, the sculptor made sketches of standards and knightly armor for the tournaments of 1469, 1471 and 1475 and a sculptural composition "Boy with Dolphin" for the fountain of the Villa Medici in Careggi.
Boy with a dolphin. around 1470 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Bronze. Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
Lorenzo Medici. 1480 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Painted terracotta. National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Giuliano di Piero Medici. 1475-78 Andrea del Verrocchio
Terracotta (originally painted)
and extremely poetic, gentle, subtle "Portrait of a Woman" 1475 from the National Museum of the Bargello in Florence. This is an extremely simple, without any pretensions and exaggerations - and a very human portrait. With delicate, fragile fingers, a young woman presses a bunch of flowers to her chest. This gives a special femininity and warmth to the image.
Woman with a bouquet. 1475-80s Andrea del Verrocchio
Woman with a bouquet. Detail. 1475-80s Andrea del Verrocchio
. Marble. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
and another portrait, in a similar style - very lively, gentle, with its own character:
Young woman. 1465-66 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Marble. Frick Collection, New York
In the years 1463-1487, Verrocchio completed the sculptural group "Thomas' Persuasion"(1476-1483, Florence, Orsanmichele church; restored in 1986-1993), one of the customers of which was Piero Medici.
According to the Gospel of John, Thomas was absent at the first appearance of Jesus Christ to the other apostles and, having learned from them that Jesus had risen from the dead and came to them, he said: "If I do not see in His hands the wounds from the nails, and I will not put my finger into the wounds nails, and I will not put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Appearing Jesus allowed Thomas to put his finger into the wounds (according to some theologians, Thomas refused to do this, while others believe that Thomas touched the wounds of Christ, Thomas believed and said "My Lord and my God!"
Thomas' assurance. 1476-83 Andrea del Verrocchio
Thomas' assurance. 1476-83 Andrea del Verrocchio
Bronze. Orsanmichele, Florence.
In 1482, Verrocchio left for Venice to work on an equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni.
In this four-meter equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice, Verrocchio seems to be in competition with. In contrast to the stern grandeur of Gattamelatta, Verrocchio embodies in his Colleoni the image of a frantic, battle-ridden military leader. Standing up in his stirrups, the condottiere, as it were, examines the battlefield, ready to rush forward, dragging the troops behind him. His body is tense, his face is distorted by an expression of cruelty and blind rage, everything in his appearance speaks of an indomitable will to win. This interpretation reflected not only the desire for greater showiness of the monument, but also an interest in psychological characteristics, in conveying the state of a warrior at the time of the battle. In essence, what we have before us is not a specific living person, but a conditional image of a "mighty warrior."
Renaissance artists diligently studied the real human body, the laws of its structure, proportions and movements. By the end of the 15th century, artists were increasingly engaged in anatomical studies. Knowledge of the structure of the human body from the inside - its bones, tendons, muscles - made it possible to achieve special persuasiveness in the depiction of both naked and dressed figures, their movements. However, such a deepening of artists in the study of the human body had such a side effect as an increase in dryness in the interpretation of plastic masses. Andrea Verrocchio was just one of those who was especially prone to dryish, detailed and precise finishing of the details of the figure, face and costume. As if sensing some danger from this side, he tried to use an emphatically heroic and monumental principle as a counterweight.
Bartolomeo Colleone himself embodied in bronze is an Italian condottiere. Quite unprincipled - he served in Milan against Venice, then in Venice against Milan - but all this was quite consistent with the spirit of that time. After the successful conquests made under his leadership, the condottiere bequeathed his fortune to Venice on the condition that after his death a monument would be erected to him in Piazza San Marco (the Venetians had a ban on erecting monuments in the main square of the city). In order to receive a considerable inheritance from Colleoni, who died in 1475, the Venetian authorities cheated by erecting a monument to the commander - exactly the one that Verrocchio created - in the square in front of the Scuola San Marco, next to the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
1481-1495 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Bronze. Venice.
Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 1481-1495 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Bronze. Venice.
The artist died in Venice in 1488, without completing the statue he had begun.
A few paintings by Verrocchio are distinguished by the sharpness and accuracy of the drawing, sculptural modeling of forms (Madonna, circa 1470, Art Gallery, Berlin-Dahlem) and the famous Baptism of Christ from the Uffizi Gallery.
Madonna and Child. 1470s Andrea del Verrocchio
. State Museums, Berlin.
"Baptism of Christ"- the most famous painting by Verrocchio. It was written in the early 70s. quattrocento, that is, at the end of the Early Renaissance in Italy, and in general is very typical of this era. In the depiction of figures, participants in the baptism scene, one can still feel the influence of the traditions of medieval painting. They appear incorporeal and flat, as if carved from dry hard material. Their movements and gestures are angular and stiff, as if they only move in two dimensions. Facial expressions are abstract and devoid of individuality. These are not living people, but symbolic images, majestic and spiritualized. The landscape in the background lacks perspective and looks like a picturesque scenery. And the landscape, and the figures, and the whole composition seem to be conditional.
On the left side of the picture, the figure of an angel involuntarily stands out for its naturalness and ease, written not by Verrocchio, but by his young student Leonardo da Vinci. This angel, so graceful in his kneeling and turning his head, with a deep and radiant gaze, is a creation of another era - the High Renaissance, a truly golden age of Italian art.
Baptism of Christ. 1472-75 Andrea del Verrocchio
Baptism of Christ. Detail 1472-75 Andrea del Verrocchio
. Oil on wood. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Quite famous is his painting "Tovy and the Angel" on a very popular plot at the time.
Tobius and the angel. 1470-80s Andrea del Verrocchio
. Tempera. National Gallery, London.
...One righteous man named was suffering from an eye disease and was preparing to die. He asked his son Tobius to go to Media and collect some money for him, and the dream with his faithful dog sets off. Tobius did not know the road well and found himself a fellow traveler who agreed to accompany him. Tobius was unaware that the fellow traveler he was fortunate enough to meet was the archangel Raphael. When they approached the Tigris River, Tobius decided to swim, but unexpectedly "the fish began to jump out of the water, as if it wanted to devour him. Then the angel said to him: Take the fish. And the young man lay down, holding the fish with his body and pulled it ashore." Following the instructions of the angel, Tobias fried the fish so that it could be eaten, separating the heart, liver and bile from it, for, as the angel said: "... touching the heart and liver, if the devil or an evil spirit overcomes someone, burn incense before that man or that woman, and then everyone will be at peace. As for bile, then anoint a person with an eyesore with it, and he will be healed. Since Tobias was constantly accompanied by an angel, his journey ended happily. He collected money for his father, and when he returned home, he restored his father's sight.
Very convincing, unlike others, Saint Jerome - without the obligatory lion, with a strange smile, surprisingly lively and surprisingly unearthly.
Saint Jerome. 1465 Andrea del Verrocchio
Gallery Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence.
And an absolutely magnificent drawing, a sketch of a girl's head. Indeed, Leonardo da Vinci learned a lot from his teacher.
Girl's head (sketch) Andrea del Verrocchio
Drawing.
I would also like to point out the so-called The perfect portrait of Alexander the Great- magnificent, original and extremely finely executed - one of the best examples of the artist's skill - a fantasy helmet, a screaming breastplate, wonderfully finished armor.
Perfect portrait of Alexander the Great. 1480s. Andrea del Verrocchio
. Marble. Private collection.
As already mentioned, Verrocchio died in Venice in 1488, without having had time to cast it in bronze and without completing the fountain project commissioned by the Hungarian king.
I like Verrocchio. That's the dryness of his and almost blamed him for the abstractness and like it. Jewelry precision. grace. Some kind of ease. Maybe introversion. With all the signs of the early Renaissance, he still stands somehow on his own - he does not climb out of his skin, does not climb into the eyes, but cannot go unnoticed. Almost all of his works can be called the best and highlight something - just randomly snatch one of the best from the other best. Look at the Portrait of a girl, in her opinion - he is! - and it would seem with empty eyes! On St. Jerome glowing with a strange light, on a proud and implacable condottiere - is it easy to choose one thing? - das_gift .
LEONARDO DA VINCI and "DAVID" Andrea del Verrocchio. Leonardo da Vinci entered Verrocchio's workshop at the age of fourteen, in 1466, when Verrocchio was still known only as a painter. Only later did Leonardo's teacher become famous as a sculptor. In the sixties of the 15th century, Verrocchio's fame as a teacher of painting was very great, and the poet Ugolino Verino dedicated a Latin quatrain to the painter with the following content: “Really, Lissippus, the Tuscan Verrocchio will not yield to you! whose fame is now booming, were trained in the school of Verrocchio".
When Leonardo entered Verrocchio, the teacher was only thirty years old and he himself continued to improve. The appearance of a brilliantly gifted student enlivened the already famous workshop of Verrocchio even more. The rapid success of Leonardo incited the teacher himself to work and improve, and later influenced Verrocchio's determination to devote himself mainly to sculpture. Twenty years old, in 1472, Leonardo was proclaimed "master", but nevertheless, due to affection for the teacher, remained in his workshop for another five years. Tobius and the angel. 1470-80s Andrea del Verrocchio. In the image of an angel, it is very easy to recognize Leonardo da Vinci.
Who was Leonardo? Contemporaries write about him: he was beautiful in appearance, proportionately complex, graceful, with an attractive face. With his brilliant appearance, which showed the highest beauty, he returned clarity to every saddened soul, and with his words he could make any stubbornness say "yes" or "no." With his silon, he subdued any violent rage and with his right hand bent an iron wall ring or a horseshoe, as if made of lead. He stopped the hottest horses at full gallop; his thin, almost feminine fingers, like wax, folded gold florins and ducats in half. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect ideal of a young man: a handsome man, an athlete, a clever man and, with all this, a magnificent artist who has just brilliantly declared himself as one of the first masters of the first city in Italy. It seemed that such a combination of physical health and creative fullness would give a bountiful harvest of masterpieces. And this is how Leonardo himself saw himself. 1475-1480.
Between 1473–1476 Andrea del Verrocchio created the statue of David, an exquisite bronze statue. It was intended for the Medici villa, but in 1576 Lorenzo and Giuliano transferred it to the Signoria Palace in Florence. The brave young biblical shepherd who defeated the giant and cut off his head is depicted as seeing an elegant, slender young man. With his pose, costume, he resembles a virtuoso dancer from a court ballet rather than a poor shepherd and hero fighter. Verrocchio's skill in arranging the figure and choosing proportions, in finishing surfaces and details is almost of a jeweler's character. Tradition says that "David" was one of the most striking results of the spiritual union of Leonardo da Vinci's student and teacher Andrea del Verrocchio - Leonardo himself posed for her. A kind of half-smile plays on the face of the bronze David, which later became a distinctive feature of Leonardo da Vinci's style.
The connoisseur of Italian art S.O. described the statue in great detail. Androsov: “Verrocchio portrayed David as a lively and perky young man, dressed in a tunic and greaves. He stands over the huge head of Goliath, leaning on his right foot and pushing back his left. In his right hand he holds a short sword, the left is placed on his belt. In the whole figure and face of David one can feel the triumph of the young winner. Verrocchio could not help but know the "David" of Donatello, willingly or unwillingly, he had to enter into competition with his predecessor. The sculptor almost repeated the pose of "David" by Donatello, who also put his left leg back, akimbo with his left hand and clutching a sword in his right. And yet, the statue of Verrocchio makes a completely different impression: celebrating a victory, his hero, as it were, poses in front of enthusiastic spectators, admiring himself. This frankness is the main thing that distinguishes him from the introspective, reflective David Donatello. Our master achieves this impression quite simply: his hero looks straight ahead, half smiling towards the viewer. The face is as if illuminated from within with joy. The whole figure radiates self-satisfaction and confidence. We can go around the statue of Verrocchio from all sides, and from all points of view the same character will be felt - the staging of the figure and facial expressions are so expressive. Even if you look at the sculpture from the back, you can feel David's self-confidence - through the general movement of the young man, through the gesture of his left hand. Such a statue is really designed for a round trip, and this calculation is implemented with great skill. I would like to see her placed on a rather high pedestal in the middle of a small courtyard or garden, so that “David” could rise above those who contemplate him.
Today we can assume that the famous bronze "David" belongs to the first works of Verrocchio. There are no documents about the creation of "David". Most researchers place the performance of "David" between 1473-1476. But a more likely execution date is around 1462.
Verrocchio could not help but know the "David" of Donatello, willingly or unwillingly, he had to enter into competition with his predecessor. The sculptor almost repeated the pose of "David" by Donatello, who also put his left leg back, akimbo with his left hand and clutching a sword in his right. And yet, the statue of Verrocchio makes a completely different impression: celebrating a victory, his hero, as it were, poses in front of enthusiastic spectators, admiring himself. This frankness is the main thing that distinguishes him from the introspective, reflective David Donatello. Today we can assume that the famous bronze "David" belongs to the first works of Verrocchio. There are no documents about the creation of "David". Most researchers place the performance of "David" between 1473-1476. But a more likely execution date is around 1462.
S. O. Androsov, a connoisseur of Italian art, described the statue in great detail:
“Verrocchio portrayed David as a lively and perky young man, dressed in a tunic and greaves. He stands over the huge head of Goliath, leaning on his right foot and pushing back his left. In his right hand he holds a short sword, the left is placed on his belt. In the whole figure and face of David one can feel the triumph of the young winner.
Verrocchio could not help but know the "David" of Donatello, willingly or unwillingly, he had to enter into competition with his predecessor. The sculptor almost repeated the pose of "David" by Donatello, who also put his left leg back, akimbo with his left hand and clutching a sword in his right. And yet, the statue of Verrocchio makes a completely different impression: celebrating a victory, his hero, as it were, poses in front of enthusiastic spectators, admiring himself. This frankness is the main thing that distinguishes him from the introspective, reflective David Donatello. Our master achieves this impression quite simply: his hero looks straight ahead, half smiling towards the viewer. The face is as if illuminated from within with joy. The whole figure radiates self-satisfaction and confidence.
Verrocchio shows the body of "David" through the clothes. Knowing anatomy much better than his predecessor, he approaches the image of the figure with the concreteness of a scientist, based on a deep study of nature. However, one should not assume that Verrocchio depicted here a specific young man who posed for him. The image he created is still ideal, and fully reflects the idea of beauty that developed in the second half of the 15th century. Ster achieves this impression quite simply: his hero looks straight ahead, half smiling towards the viewer. The face is as if illuminated from within with joy. The whole figure radiates self-satisfaction and confidence.
We can go around the statue of Verrocchio from all sides, and from all points of view the same character will be felt - the staging of the figure and facial expressions are so expressive. Even if you look at the sculpture from the back, you can feel David's self-confidence - through the general movement of the young man, through the gesture of his left hand. Such a statue is really designed for a round trip, and this calculation is implemented with great skill. I would like to see her placed on a rather high pedestal in the middle of a small courtyard or garden, so that “David” could rise above those who contemplate him.
Verrocchio shows the body of "David" through the clothes. Knowing anatomy much better than his predecessor, he approaches the image of the figure with the concreteness of a scientist, based on a deep study of nature. However, one should not assume that Verrocchio depicted here a specific young man who posed for him. The image he created is still ideal, and fully reflects the idea of beauty that developed in the second half of the 15th century.
In the sculpture “Lady with Flowers” by Andrea del Verrocchio, the woman’s face is somewhat tense, and her head is slightly tilted, her hands - a particularly important element of the portrait bust - lie on her chest. Soft folds of clothes are created by the hand of a real master. Although the Florentine artists of the Renaissance were quite skilled in many artistic techniques, the versatility of Verrocchio's talent was exceptional.
Andrea del Verrocchio studied jewelry, was a painter, sculptor and one of the most educated artists of the Renaissance. The workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence was exceptionally prolific. Jewelers, sculptors and painters studied here. among which were such excellent artists as Perugino and, especially, Leonardo da Vinci. The fall in demand for jewelry prompted Andrea del Verrocchio to turn to decorative carving (one of the first works of the artist in this area was the decoration of the chapel of the cathedral in Orvieto in 1461) and tempera painting.
In 1465, Andrea del Verrocchio created the tombstone of Cosimo de' Medici, and from the mid-1460s he worked on the sculptural composition The Assurance of Thomas. From 1467 Verrocchio carried out the orders of the Medici, the rulers of Florence. In the work of Verrocchio, realistic tendencies that developed in the Florentine school of the 15th century were combined with aristocratic refinement and exquisite decorative forms, anatomical accuracy and thoroughness of modeling - with a sharp and elegant angularity of lines.
Verrocchio is the author of tombstones (Giovanni and Piero Medici, bronze, colored marble, porphyry, 1412, Old Sacristy of the Church of San Lorenzo, Florence), statues (“David”, bronze, 1473-1475, National Museum, Florence), equestrian monuments ( monument to the condottiere B. Colleoni in Piazza Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, bronze, 1479–1488, cast in 1490), sculptural portraits accurate in characterization (bust of Giuliano Medici, terracotta, National Gallery of Art, Washington). The few paintings by Verrocchio are distinguished by the sharpness and accuracy of the drawing, the sculptural form in the modeling of forms (“Madonna”, around 1470, Art Gallery, Berlin-Dahlem). Verrocchio was a teacher of many Italian artists - Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino and others.
In 1476, Andrea del Verrocchio created a statue of David. This graceful bronze statue has become a symbol of the humanist Renaissance culture. It was intended for the Medici villa, but in 1576 Lorenzo and Giuliano transferred it to the Signoria Palace in Florence. One of the students in Verrocchier's workshop was the young Leonardo da Vinci. The famous drawings and paintings of Leonardo are largely based on the teacher's style.
Leonardo executed the details for some of Andrea del Verocchio's paintings and sculptures. Although Verrocchio may have trusted the young Leonardo to draw some minor details in his earlier works, it was most likely in The Baptism of Christ that he first allowed Leonardo to draw a complete figure. A small, blue-clad angel, in fact, announced to Florence the birth of a genius in Italian art, and, perhaps, in the history of mankind. In 1482, Verrocchio left for Venice to work on an equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. The artist died there in 1488, without completing the sculptural work he had begun.
