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Andrea del SartoItalian artist of the Florentine school
Date of Birth: 16.07.1486
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Andrea del Sarto
Andrea del Sarto was an Italian artist of the Florentine school. He was born on July 16, 1486, in Florence. Among his early works are five frescoes illustrating the life of St. Philip Benizi in the courtyard of the Santissima Annunziata church in Florence, painted between 1509 and 1510. These frescoes show a departure from the traditional style of Quattrocento painting, although they do not fully represent Andrea del Sarto's own style, they are still professionally executed.
After four years of work, studying Michelangelo's drawings and possibly Raphael's frescoes in Rome, the artistic capabilities of Andrea del Sarto expanded significantly. In his fresco "The Nativity of the Virgin" (1514), painted in the same church, a broader interpretation and emotional expressiveness emerged. In 1517, Andrea del Sarto married Lucrezia del Fede and in the same year, he painted his famous "Madonna with the Harpies" (1517, Florence, Uffizi Gallery). Lucrezia may have served as the model for this painting, as well as many others.
In 1518, the French King Francis I, who sought to attract famous Italian artists to his court, invited Andrea del Sarto to France, as he was considered the best draftsman in Florence. In Paris, he painted the picture "Mercy" (Louvre) and soon returned to Florence. Here, in 1519, Andrea del Sarto began work on the fresco "The Last Supper" in the San Salvi monastery. In the works of his last ten years of life, the artist achieved perfect mastery. Among them are "Lamentation" (1524, Florence, Pitti Gallery), "Madonna of the Sack" (1525, Church of Santissima Annunziata), "The Life of St. John the Baptist" (1515-1526, Florence, Scalzi Monastery), "Altar of Sarzana" (1528, Berlin - Dahlem, not preserved), "Altar of Vallombrosa" (1528, Florence, Uffizi Gallery), "Assumption" (1530, Florence, Pitti Gallery), and others. The compositions of his works always have a clear structure and effortless balance. Young saints are usually depicted in graceful poses, endowed with softness and serene tranquility.
Andrea del Sarto learned the use of sfumato from Leonardo da Vinci, but his color scheme is completely original. It possesses extraordinary sonority and, in a sense, irrationality, which attracted artists like Pontormo and later developed in the works of other representatives of Mannerism.
