Juraj Julije Klovic
Encyclopedia
Giorgio Giulio Clovio or (1498 – January 5, 1578) was illuminator, miniaturist, and painter, born in Croatia, who was mostly active in Renaissance Italy
. He is considered the greatest illuminator of the Italian High Renaissance
, and arguably the last very notable artist in the long tradition of the illuminated manuscript
, before some modern revivals.
. It is not known where he had his early training, but he may have studied art with monks at Fiume of Novi Bazar when he was young.
He moved to Italy at age 18 and entered the household Cardinal Marino Grimani
where he was trained as a painter. Between 1516 and ca 1523 Clovio may have lived with Marino in the residence of the latter’s uncle Cardinal Domenico Grimani
in Rome
. Clovio studied under Giulio Romano
during this early period.
While a protégé of Cardinal Domenico Grimani
Clovio engraved medals and seals for him, as well as the Grimani Commentary Ms., an important early illuminated book (now Sir John Soane's Museum, London).
By 1524 Clovio was at Buda
, at the Hungarian court of King Louis II
, for whom he painted the "Judgment of Paris" and "Lucretia". After Louis' death in the Battle of Mohács
, Clovio travelled to Rome where he continued his career.
After 1527 he visited several monasteries of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. In 1534 Clovio returned to the household of Cardinal Marino Grimani. A year later Clovio may have followed Marino when the latter was appointed as a papal legate to Perugia
, where Clovio is thought to have worked on illustrations for the Soane
Manuscript written by Marino Grimani around that time. Clovio likely returned to Rome by the end of 1538 when he is known to have met with the writer Francisco de Hollanda.
Clovio later became a member of the household of Alessandro Farnese with whom he would be associated until his death. It was during his time with Farnese that Clovio created one of his masterpieces, the Farnese Hours
. Other well-known works from this period include the illustrations for the Towneley Lectionary.
From 1551 to 1553 Clovio is known to have worked in Florence
. During this time he painted a miniature of Eleanor of Toledo (England, Walbeck Abbey, Private Collection).
, the celebrated Greek
artist from Crete
, who later worked in Spain
, during El Greco's early years in Rome. Greco painted two portraits of Clovio; one shows the four painters whom he considered as his masters; in this Clovio is side by side with Michelangelo
, Titian
and Raphael. Clovio was also known as Michelangelo of the miniature
. Books with his miniatures became famous primarily due to his skilled illustrations. He was persuasive in transferring the style of Italian high Renaissance
painting into the miniature format.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder was a personal friend of Giulio Clovio , and stayed with Clovio in Rome during his Italian trip of 1553. Breugel executed a small medallion depicting ships in a storm on a Clovio miniature of the Last Judgment
(New York Public Library
), but the six Bruegels in mentioned in Clovio's will have all disappeared.
His most famous work is the Farnese Hours
, completed in 1546 for Cardinal
Alessandro Farnese, which was nine years in the making (now Morgan Library
, New York). He is pointing to this work in the El Greco portrait (above). This contains twenty-eight miniatures, mostly of Old and New Testament scenes, but with a famous double-page picture representing the Corpus Christi
procession in Rome. It has splendid silver-gilt covers, although they are not by Benvenuto Cellini
, as Vasari claimed.
is now in the New York Public Library
and probably belonged to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Used during services, the book contained six majestic, full-page miniatures opposite miniature depictions of the Evangelists. The illustrations, introduced the relevant readings from the Scripture. They include the Nativity, the Resurrection
and the Last Judgment
.
This work dates to ca. 1512 and is now in the John Rylands University Library in Manchester. The Colonna Missal was made for Cardinal Pompeo Colonna. There had been some debate about the identity of the artist. Some had attributed the missal to Raphael (about 1517). It has also been suggested that the work may belong to Vinzenzio Raimondi. It is now generally attributed to Clovio.
has his twelve miniatures of the victories of the Emperor Charles V
, and other works. The Vatican library
has a manuscript life of Frederigo III di Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, superbly illustrated by Clovio.
Other illustrations by him are kept in libraries in Vienna
, New York
, Munich
, and Paris
, and other works are in many private collections. A small part of his work is viewable in Klovićevi Dvori
("Palace of Klović"), the art gallery dedicated to him in Zagreb
.
According to a description written for publication by Antonfrancesco Cirni, he also designed many of the costumes for the famously elaborate wedding festivities of Ortensia Borromeo
in March 1565, which were held in the Vatican
and included a tournament in the Belvedere courtyard. Such duties were often expected of a Renaissance court painter. The costumes are carefully recorded in a series of anonymous etching
s, some probably based on Clovio's design drawings.
, the church containing Michelangelo
's celebrated Moses
.
issued a special 200 kuna silver coin in commemoration. A monument to Clovio was also raised in Drivenik. The Croatian government
recently made news by purchasing Clovio's The Last Judgement, a painting Clovio gave as a gift to Pope Clement VII
. Bernardin Modrić released his film The Gospel According to Klović in 2006. The Vatican celebrated this anniversary with postal stamps.
and Croatia
. He was born in Kingdom of Croatia
, and stated his Croatian
identity. But, for most of his life he worked in Italy, and is therefore often referred to as Italian
painter.
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
. He is considered the greatest illuminator of the Italian High Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
, and arguably the last very notable artist in the long tradition of the illuminated manuscript
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
, before some modern revivals.
Biography
Giulio Clovio was born in Croatia. He was a native of Grižane, a village near the town of ModrušModruš
Modruš is a village in the mountainous part of Croatia, located south of Josipdol. The population is 197 .This now small village is historically noted as the seat of one of the medieval Catholic bishoprics, established in 1185 in Krbava and moved to Modruš in the 1460s. It later became the Roman...
. It is not known where he had his early training, but he may have studied art with monks at Fiume of Novi Bazar when he was young.
He moved to Italy at age 18 and entered the household Cardinal Marino Grimani
Marino Grimani
Marino Grimani was an Italian Cardinal and papal legate. He was from an aristocratic Venetian family.He was elected bishop of Ceneda in 1508, when he was under age. He was patriarch of Aquileia in 1517....
where he was trained as a painter. Between 1516 and ca 1523 Clovio may have lived with Marino in the residence of the latter’s uncle Cardinal Domenico Grimani
Domenico Grimani
Domenico Grimani was a Venetian Churchman and Cardinal. From 1498 to 1517 he was Patriarch of Aquileia, and from 1517 to 1520 bishop of Ceneda. He became a cardinal in 1493. Grimani was not ordained a priest until 1498. After the election of Pope Julius II he became cardinal priest of San Marco...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Clovio studied under Giulio Romano
Giulio Romano
Giulio Romano was an Italian painter and architect. A pupil of Raphael, his stylistic deviations from high Renaissance classicism help define the 16th-century style known as Mannerism...
during this early period.
While a protégé of Cardinal Domenico Grimani
Domenico Grimani
Domenico Grimani was a Venetian Churchman and Cardinal. From 1498 to 1517 he was Patriarch of Aquileia, and from 1517 to 1520 bishop of Ceneda. He became a cardinal in 1493. Grimani was not ordained a priest until 1498. After the election of Pope Julius II he became cardinal priest of San Marco...
Clovio engraved medals and seals for him, as well as the Grimani Commentary Ms., an important early illuminated book (now Sir John Soane's Museum, London).
By 1524 Clovio was at Buda
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, at the Hungarian court of King Louis II
Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia
Louis II was King of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia from 1516 to 1526.- Early life :Louis was the son of Ladislaus II Jagiellon and his third wife, Anne de Foix....
, for whom he painted the "Judgment of Paris" and "Lucretia". After Louis' death in the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
, Clovio travelled to Rome where he continued his career.
After 1527 he visited several monasteries of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. In 1534 Clovio returned to the household of Cardinal Marino Grimani. A year later Clovio may have followed Marino when the latter was appointed as a papal legate to Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, where Clovio is thought to have worked on illustrations for the Soane
Soane Museum
Sir John Soane's Museum is a museum of architecture, and was formerly the house of the neo-classical architect Sir John Soane. It holds many drawings and models of his projects and the collections of paintings, drawings and antiquities that he assembled...
Manuscript written by Marino Grimani around that time. Clovio likely returned to Rome by the end of 1538 when he is known to have met with the writer Francisco de Hollanda.
Clovio later became a member of the household of Alessandro Farnese with whom he would be associated until his death. It was during his time with Farnese that Clovio created one of his masterpieces, the Farnese Hours
Farnese Hours
The Farnese Hours is an illuminated manuscript created by Giulio Clovio, a Croatian artist, for cardinal Alessandro Farnese in 1546. Considered the masterpiece of Clovio, the book of hours is now in the possession of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City.It contains religious stories , and...
. Other well-known works from this period include the illustrations for the Towneley Lectionary.
From 1551 to 1553 Clovio is known to have worked in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. During this time he painted a miniature of Eleanor of Toledo (England, Walbeck Abbey, Private Collection).
Contact with other artists
Clovio was a friend of the much younger El GrecoEl Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
, the celebrated Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
artist from Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, who later worked in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, during El Greco's early years in Rome. Greco painted two portraits of Clovio; one shows the four painters whom he considered as his masters; in this Clovio is side by side with Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
, Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
and Raphael. Clovio was also known as Michelangelo of the miniature
Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment...
. Books with his miniatures became famous primarily due to his skilled illustrations. He was persuasive in transferring the style of Italian high Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
painting into the miniature format.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder was a personal friend of Giulio Clovio , and stayed with Clovio in Rome during his Italian trip of 1553. Breugel executed a small medallion depicting ships in a storm on a Clovio miniature of the Last Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
(New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
), but the six Bruegels in mentioned in Clovio's will have all disappeared.
The Soane Manuscript
Clovio illuminated the Commentary of Marino Grimani on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. This work is now in the Sir John Soane Museum in London. The commentary consists of 130 vellums. Two large miniatures are included, as well as richly decorated borders. The miniatures depict the conversion of St Paul.The Farnese Hours
Farnese Hours
The Farnese Hours is an illuminated manuscript created by Giulio Clovio, a Croatian artist, for cardinal Alessandro Farnese in 1546. Considered the masterpiece of Clovio, the book of hours is now in the possession of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City.It contains religious stories , and...
, completed in 1546 for Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Alessandro Farnese, which was nine years in the making (now Morgan Library
Morgan Library
The Morgan Library & Museum is a museum and research library in New York City, USA. It was founded to house the private library of J. P. Morgan in 1906, which included, besides the manuscripts and printed books, some of them in rare bindings, his collection of prints and drawings...
, New York). He is pointing to this work in the El Greco portrait (above). This contains twenty-eight miniatures, mostly of Old and New Testament scenes, but with a famous double-page picture representing the Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
procession in Rome. It has splendid silver-gilt covers, although they are not by Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, painter, soldier and musician, who also wrote a famous autobiography. He was one of the most important artists of Mannerism.-Youth:...
, as Vasari claimed.
The Towneley Lectionary
The Towneley LectionaryLectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
is now in the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
and probably belonged to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Used during services, the book contained six majestic, full-page miniatures opposite miniature depictions of the Evangelists. The illustrations, introduced the relevant readings from the Scripture. They include the Nativity, the Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
and the Last Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
.
The Colonna Missal
Other
The British LibraryBritish Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
has his twelve miniatures of the victories of the Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, and other works. The Vatican library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
has a manuscript life of Frederigo III di Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, superbly illustrated by Clovio.
Other illustrations by him are kept in libraries in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and other works are in many private collections. A small part of his work is viewable in Klovićevi Dvori
Klovicevi dvori
Klovićevi dvori is an art gallery in Zagreb, Croatia named after the Croatian painter Juraj Julije Klović. It is located in the historic Gornji Grad neighborhood. Two smaller galleries are located within the building, the Galerija Gradec and Kula Lotrščak. The gallery was opened in 1984.- External...
("Palace of Klović"), the art gallery dedicated to him in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
.
According to a description written for publication by Antonfrancesco Cirni, he also designed many of the costumes for the famously elaborate wedding festivities of Ortensia Borromeo
Borromeo
-Members of the House of Borromeo:* Andrea Borromeo, a Theatine priest* Charles Borromeo , cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church* Federico Borromeo , archbishop of Milan, cousin of Charles-Other people:...
in March 1565, which were held in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
and included a tournament in the Belvedere courtyard. Such duties were often expected of a Renaissance court painter. The costumes are carefully recorded in a series of anonymous etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
s, some probably based on Clovio's design drawings.
Death and burial
Giulio Clovio died in Rome on January 5, 1578. His tomb is in the Basilica of San Pietro in VincoliSan Pietro in Vincoli
San Pietro in Vincoli is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, best known for being the home of Michelangelo's statue of Moses, part of the tomb of Pope Julius II.-History:...
, the church containing Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
's celebrated Moses
Moses (Michelangelo)
The Moses is a sculpture by the Italian High Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome...
.
500th Anniversary
Croatia celebrated the 500th anniversary of his birth in 1998. The Croatian National BankCroatian National Bank
The Croatian National Bank is the central bank of the Republic of Croatia.HNB was established by the Constitution of Croatia which was passed by the Croatian Parliament on 21 December 1990. Its main responsibilities are maintaining the stability of the national currency, the kuna, and ensuring...
issued a special 200 kuna silver coin in commemoration. A monument to Clovio was also raised in Drivenik. The Croatian government
Government of Croatia
The Government of the Republic of Croatia , commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government , is the main element of the executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the President of the Government , commonly abbreviated to premier...
recently made news by purchasing Clovio's The Last Judgement, a painting Clovio gave as a gift to Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
. Bernardin Modrić released his film The Gospel According to Klović in 2006. The Vatican celebrated this anniversary with postal stamps.
Legacy
Today, Giulio Clovio is celebrated in ItalyItaly
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...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. He was born in Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia can refer to:* Kingdom of Croatia * Kingdom of Croatia * Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia...
, and stated his Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
identity. But, for most of his life he worked in Italy, and is therefore often referred to as Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
painter.
International
- Italian Renaissance Artist List
- Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie - Clovio, Giorgio Il Macedo
- Clovio Giorgio Giulio Artcyclopedia
- Giulio Clovio Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Clovio Giorgio Giulio Masters
- Clovio Giorgio Giulio Infoplease
- Clovio Giulio Bartleby
- Giorgio Clovio Newadvent
- Giorgio Giulio Clovio 1911encyclopedia
- Giorgio Giulio Clovio davidrumsey
- Giulio Clovio
- Union List of Artists Names: Clovio, Giulio.
- Vatican City postage stamp: Christmas 1998 – 500th anniversary of the birth of Giulio Clovio (named Julius Clovius Croatus in the stamp)
Italian
- Motivi disponibili Giorgio-Giulio Clovio
- Le Vite - Edizioni Giuntina e Torrentiniana
- Gli artisti principali citati dal Vasari nelle "Vite" (elenco)
- Ritratto di auto del Clovio
- Ultimo giudizio del Clovio