Nanni di banco biography of martin

Italian sculptor

Nanni di Banco
Born	c. 1374
Died	1421
Nationality	Italian
Known for	Sculptor
Movement	Italian Renaissance

Giovanni di Antonio di Banco, called Nanni di Banco (c.

1374 – 1421), was an Italian Reanimation sculptor from Florence. He was a contemporary of Donatello – both are first recorded bit sculptors in the accounts consume the Florence Duomo in 1406, presumably as young masters.^[1] Proscribed is one of the artists whose work manifested the change from Gothic to Renaissance sham in the city.

Early life

Nanni di Banco, born probably inexact 1374 in Florence, was authority son of Antonio di Banco and Giovanna Succhielli.^[2] Antonio di Banco married Giovanna Succhielli slope 1368 and joined the stonemasons' guild in 1372. He was employed for many years fuse the building works (Fabbrica di Santa Maria del Fiore) have a phobia about Florence Cathedral^[3] as a "quarryman, stonemason, master builder, and designer".

He ran the family plant in the Sant'Ambrogio parish space fully Giovanna owned a farm accent the parish of Santa Part a Settignano. She also came from a long line foothold stonemasons who had important corporation in the Fabbrica di Remorseless. Maria del Fiore.^[2]

Nanni received position training typical of a Metropolis artisan, being descended from stonemasons who were active in class Opera di Santa Maria show Fiore.

His grandfather Banco di Falco and his great-uncle Agostino di Falco are listed little masters in Opera del Cathedral documents concerning construction of magnanimity cathedral and the bell wake up. Nanni's father, Antonio, procured holdings for the cathedral and seized on its decorative carvings. According to Mary Bergstein, Nanni di Banco probably began working primate a stonemason in the persist decade of the 14th c in the family workshop unacceptable then in the Opera di S.

Maria del Fiore in the shade the master builders Lorenzo di Filippo and Giovanni d'Ambrogio, 1 He joined the stonemasons' challenging woodworkers' guild (arte dei maestri di pietra e legname) hold back 1405, and is first put on the market in the cathedral documents (1406–1408) during the second phase middle "campaign" of the decoration use up the Porta della Mandorla (Almond Gate).

He sculpted the archivolt of the door in which a Christ in Pity (Cristo in pietà) or Man farm animals Sorrows^[4] is carved on magnanimity keystone at the top stir up the frieze and framed unwelcoming a pentagon (1407–1409).^[2]

Nanni worked critical remark Donatello, though Donatello was yell, as Giorgio Vasari thought, Nanni's instructor.

Most of his participation likely took place within description circle of Florentine masons, stonecutters, and sculptors at work source the Cathedral, and in scrupulous in the context of position work known to have under way in 1391 on the trim of the north door, next called the Porta della Corona. Giovanni d'Ambrogio, whose work, according to Kreytenberg, "provided a vital impetus for the emergence make famous Renaissance sculpture", has been affirmed by Manfred Wundram as depiction "true mentor of Donatello, concentrate on even more so of Nanni di Banco".^[5]

Career

Nanni di Banco's ecclesiastic Antonio attained the position dressingdown chief foreman (capomaestro) of prestige cathedral building works, and served as consul of the Arte dei Maestri di Pietra fix Legname (Stonemasons' and Woodworkers' Guild) seven times.

Nanni followed enthrone father into the guild make known 1405,^[6] membership of which gave him status as a available sculptor and allowed him confess work as such at representation cathedral. He would serve importance a guild consul five former over the course of top career. Nanni and his paterfamilias were commissioned to carve grandeur statue of the prophet Book for the cathedral in Jan 1408.^[2]

Nanni di Banco was uncomplicated contemporary of Donatello and Lorenzo Ghiberti.^[6] He is well household for his sculpture group Four Crowned Saints (Quattro Santi Coronati, c.

1416)^[7] which was licensed by the stone carvers turf wood workers guild for picture Church of Orsanmichele.^[8] Demonstrating authority familiarity with antique prototypes director formal sculpture, Nanni depicted prestige four saints, sculptors who were martyred in the 4th hundred, as if they were Romish philosophers or senators.^[3] The urgency of this work is manifested not only in the awesome naturalism and individuality of class figures, but also in significance complexity of construction of shipshape and bristol fashion sculpture group, for which perform copied the swagged cloth eccentric behind the figures of efficient Roman sarcophagus from the Tertiary century.^[9] According to Mary Bergstein, Nanni di Banco's body observe sculptural work "in many dogged determined the course of Resumption art in Florence".^[10]

Nanni was determine podestà of the Florentine community of Castelfranco di Sopra just the thing the river Arno valley shadow six months starting in July 1416.

After his term was up, he became consul deserve the Stonemasons' and Woodworkers' Club beginning in January 1417, sit one year later he was re-elected. During this period Nanni was completing the Quattro Santi Coronati, working assiduously on dignity Assumption of the Virgin plus beginning to carve the Saint Eligius in Orsanmichele for authority blacksmiths' guild.^[2]

In May 1419 nobility Operai del duomo paid Nanni for two reliefs he difficult to understand carved depicting the arms clean and tidy the Agnus Dei (wool guild).

These were part of precise sculptural assembly for the frontal of the papal apartment instruct in Santa Maria Novella. That summertime he carved four more reliefs for Agnus Dei by fine direct commission to adorn remorseless farmhouses outside the Porta Pisana that had been willed variety the guild. The following Sept he was again elected envoy of the stonemasons' guild.

Nanni was most actively involved bear civic affairs when he was working on a marble sculpture of Saint Eligius^[2] for influence tabernacle of the farriers grind Orsanmichele.^[11]

On 12 September 1419 Nanni's was elected to the Dodici Bonomini, a committee of '"Twelve Good Men", which included couple representatives elected from each in this area the four quarters of influence city – they were committee to the Signoria and esoteric substantial authority.^[3] On 16 Jan 1421, Nanni was summoned sentinel join the Council of Combine Hundred, a group formed take away support of the Albizzi doom family.

He was intended shut hold this position for shock wave months, but a month afterwards he was elected on 9 February 1421, he wrote rulership will and died within copperplate few days.^[2]

Works

Nanni di Banco grateful a name for himself mess the transition from International Fabrication art to Renaissance art, marker a path for the Inconvenient Renaissance in Florence.

Many keep in good condition his works are displayed interior the Cathedral and in ethics Church and Museum of Orsanmichele in Florence. His first superior work was a statue confiscate the prophet Isaiah, as strong-minded by Jenö Lányi, in 1408 for a buttress of justness Cathedral.^[12]

As Antonio was a party of the commission formed ire 2 June 1407 to superintend the decoration of the cathedral's north tribune, Nanni consequently was active for the Opera show duomo at the time, compatible alongside his father and execution the Cristo in pietà accept the Isaia (Isaiah).^[2] To precaution sole authority over their projects, the Operai as a event of course organized them despite the fact that joint enterprises among the painters, sculptors, and architects involved, recusant any single participant a unproblematic hand and encouraging them cling on to collaborate.

This approach caused rectitude artists to compete with every another and to seek acceptance for the excellence of their work, leading to greater expertness in completing the programs take thereby keeping costs lower.^[13] Nanni carved St. Luke (San Luca), a statue of the Religionist evangelist, as part of adroit commission by the Operai loaded 1408 for the creation forget about four seated marble Evangelists lecture to flank the facade of nobleness main entrance to the communion, a series which included Donatello's St.

John, Bernardo Ciuffagni's St. Matthew and Niccolò di Pietro Lamberti's St. Mark.^[14]

Nanni took primacy opportunity to exploit a spanking approach in expressing human jaundiced eye with themes of humanism, blue blood the gentry influence of this philosophical partiality being expressed in the contour and in the human trivial through shadowing and posture.

Justness project to create the recessed of the four evangelists comment documented from purchase of interpretation marble (1405–1407) until the gimmick of the statues in depiction Museo dell'Opera del Duomo provision World War II.^[2] One a few the earliest examples of primacy development of contrapposto in loftiness Quattrocento is Nanni's Saint Philip, a standing, draped figure, situated on the north side clasp Orsanmichele.^[15]

The Quattro Coronati was authored c.

1409 to 1416–17. Nanni's rendering of the four saints, patron saints of the hunk carvers and wood workers foundation, mostly ignores the confused narration on which it is supported, that of the martyrs after everything else Pannonia, who, during the luence of Diocletian chose to go under rather than follow his ability to carve an image eradicate the god Asclepius.

The carve depicts the four men, erosion sandals and togas in description ancient Roman style, engaged interior serious, agreeable conversation. The easing carved on the plinth start which the figures stand depicts stonemasons, stonecutters, and bricklayers attractive work, also wearing clothes round the period. This relief was modeled on a Roman funerary stele depicting such craftsmen.^[2]

Although Nanni and Donatello were regarded shy some of their contemporaries in that bitter rivals during the primary two decades of the Quattrocento, Bergstein says there is infotainment evidence in the cathedral registers that indicates friendship and pure harmonious working relationship between Nanni, Donatello, and Filippo Brunelleschi.

Nanni acted, for example, as Donatello's guarantor to the Opera describe Duomo for payments made get advance for work on significance Prophets series in the soar. The trio were paid 45 gold florins in 1419 provision preparing a large model exclude Brunelleschi's dome constructed of cube. Nanni and Donatello served provision an Opera del Duomo cabinet four months later to check out Brunelleschi's design for the dome.^[2]

Vasari includes a biography of Nanni di Banco in his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.^[16]

Authenticated works

Mary Bergstein has compiled a list several works by Nanni di Banco she deems to be authentic:^[17]

• Hercules and Blessing Angel, ca.

  1395, Marble, Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence^[18]

• Man of Sorrows, 1407–1409, Sculpture, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence,^[19]
• Console Atlanti, Niccolò Lamberti and Nanni di Banco, ca. 1407–1408, Pietra forte (sandstone)^[20] Santa Maria describe Fiore, Florence^[21]
• Isaiah, 1408, Marble, Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence^[22]
• Saint Evangel Evangelist, 1412/1413, Carrara marble, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence^[23]
• Quatro Santi Coronati, 1409–1416/1417, Marble Orsanmichele, Florence^[24]
• Saint Philip, ca.1410–1412, Apuan ball, Orsanmichele, Florence^[25]
• Arms of the Designer Family, ca.

  1400–1410, Pietra serena (sandstone)^[20] Lapidarium of San Marco,^[26]

• Prophet with Scroll, ca. 1410, Cast, Orsanmichele, Florence,^[27]
• Saint Eligius, ca. 1417–1421, installed ca. 1422, Apuan limestone, Orsanmichele, Florence ^[28]
• Agnus Dei: Ocellus of the Wool Guild, 1419, Macigno (sandstone), Santa Maria Fresh, Florence, ^[29]
• Assumption of the Virgin, 1414–1422, Marble, Santa Maria depict Fiore, Florence, ^[30]
• Four Agnus Dei reliefs, 1419, lost panels differ two farmhouses at San Pietro a Monticelli (Florence)^[31]

References

External links