Antonio Solario
Encyclopedia
Antonio Solario also known as Lo Zingaro (The Gypsy), Antonio de/da Solario etc, was an Italian
painter
of the Venetian school
, who worked in Naples
, the Marche
and possibly England. His career is obscure, largely pieced together from surviving works, and at one time his existence was doubted.
He was possibly born and probably trained in Venice
, and signed the Withypool Altarpiece "Antonius Desolario, Venetus 1514"; this includes a donor portrait
and the heraldry
of the London merchant Paul Withypool. This work and other references to works in England by John Leland
a few decades later are the evidence for his putative English visit. The altarpiece is in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
who own the main panel; the wings have been loaned by the National Gallery
, who also have a Virgin and Child. There is a similar but smaller panel of the Madonna and Child with a Donor in the National Museum of Capodimonte at Naples. All include charming small landscapes seen through windows in a wall behind the figures.
He is first recorded at Fermo
in 1502, and last (rather questionably) in Montecassino in 1518; if this last is excluded his last known date is 1514. In Naples his main work was in the cloister
of the monastery of St Severino (now the State Archives), twenty large fresco
es illustrating the life of St Benedict, which are open to the elements though covered and are now greatly decayed; they present a vast variety of figures and details, with dexterous modeling and coloring. These were painted in the first years of the century. Sometimes Solario's color is crude, and he generally shows weakness of draughtsmanship in hands and feet. His tendency is that of a naturalist the heads lifelike and individual, and the landscape backgrounds better invented and cared for than in any contemporary.
His works are capable of being confused with some of those of his contemporary, the Milan
ese follower of Leonardo da Vinci
Andrea Solario, to whom he was not related but who he probably met and was influenced by. The portrait of Charles II d'Amboise in the Louvre
, who now attribute it as a copy of a work by Andrea, is a case in point.
The confused biography of Solario by Bernardo de' Dominici
(1683–1759), the "Neapolitan Vasari", in his Vite dei Pittori, Scultori, ed Architetti Napolitani 1742, included the information that Solario was born, probably in Abruzzo
, in about 1382, the son of a tinker, and, after a romantic interlude, became the son-in-law of Colantonio, the leading artist in Naples in the mid-15th century. His date of death was given as 1455. It took until the early 20th century or later to dispel this wholly mistaken chronology.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of the Venetian school
Venetian school (art)
-Context:In the 15th century Venetian painting developed through influences from the Paduan School and Antonello da Messina, who introduced the oil painting technique of Early Netherlandish painting. It is typified by a warm colour scale and a picturesque use of colour...
, who worked in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
and possibly England. His career is obscure, largely pieced together from surviving works, and at one time his existence was doubted.
He was possibly born and probably trained in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, and signed the Withypool Altarpiece "Antonius Desolario, Venetus 1514"; this includes a donor portrait
Donor portrait
A donor portrait or votive portrait is a portrait in a larger painting or other work showing the person who commissioned and paid for the image, or a member of his, or her, family...
and the heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of the London merchant Paul Withypool. This work and other references to works in England by John Leland
John Leland
John Leland, also Leyland , was an English poet and antiquary.Leland has been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography"...
a few decades later are the evidence for his putative English visit. The altarpiece is in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. It is run by the city council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums...
who own the main panel; the wings have been loaned by the National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
, who also have a Virgin and Child. There is a similar but smaller panel of the Madonna and Child with a Donor in the National Museum of Capodimonte at Naples. All include charming small landscapes seen through windows in a wall behind the figures.
He is first recorded at Fermo
Fermo
Fermo is a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo.Fermo is located on a hill, the Sabulo with a fine view, on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway....
in 1502, and last (rather questionably) in Montecassino in 1518; if this last is excluded his last known date is 1514. In Naples his main work was in the cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
of the monastery of St Severino (now the State Archives), twenty large fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es illustrating the life of St Benedict, which are open to the elements though covered and are now greatly decayed; they present a vast variety of figures and details, with dexterous modeling and coloring. These were painted in the first years of the century. Sometimes Solario's color is crude, and he generally shows weakness of draughtsmanship in hands and feet. His tendency is that of a naturalist the heads lifelike and individual, and the landscape backgrounds better invented and cared for than in any contemporary.
His works are capable of being confused with some of those of his contemporary, the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese follower of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
Andrea Solario, to whom he was not related but who he probably met and was influenced by. The portrait of Charles II d'Amboise in the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
, who now attribute it as a copy of a work by Andrea, is a case in point.
The confused biography of Solario by Bernardo de' Dominici
Bernardo de' Dominici
Bernardo de' Dominici was an Italian art historian and painter of the late-Baroque period, active mainly in Naples, painting landscapes, marine vedute, and genre scenes such as characteristic of Bamboccianti...
(1683–1759), the "Neapolitan Vasari", in his Vite dei Pittori, Scultori, ed Architetti Napolitani 1742, included the information that Solario was born, probably in Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, in about 1382, the son of a tinker, and, after a romantic interlude, became the son-in-law of Colantonio, the leading artist in Naples in the mid-15th century. His date of death was given as 1455. It took until the early 20th century or later to dispel this wholly mistaken chronology.