Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi
Encyclopedia
Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi (c. 1460 – 1528), called "L'Antico" by his contemporaries for the refined interpretation of the Antique
they recognized in his work, was a 16th century North Italian sculptor, known for his finely detailed small bronzes all'Antica—coolly classicizing, often with gilded details, and silver-inlaid eyes, a refinement that is found in some classical and Hellenistic Greek bronzes.
There is very little documentation of Bonacolsi, in spite of the aristocratic name he bore, that of the signori of Mantua who preceded the Gonzaga
until 1328. Born probably in Gazzuolo, near Mantua, he may have been trained as a goldsmith, like his only rival in Mantua, Andrea Riccio. He found patronage among the Gonzaga, at first in the court that gathered at Gazzuolo around the natural son and favorite of Ludovico Gonzaga, Gianfrancesco and his wife Antonia del Balzo, whose wedding in 1479 was commemorated in a pair of medallions by Bonacolsi. Gianfrancesco had recently come into possession of the fief and a refined court gathered round the young couple, both intellectual and artistic: Ludovico Ariosto
, Bernardo Tasso
, Matteo Bandello
, Baldassare Castiglione
and l'Antico. At Gazzuolo the parish church became the burial place of the Gonzaga: there Pico della Mirandola is interred.
Bonacolsi found patrons after 1490 above all in the brilliant court at Mantua of Isabella d'Este
, who married Francesco II Gonzaga
in that year. In Mantua one of Renaissance Italy's finest collections of Roman sculptures and Antiquities was to be found. Bonacolsi made many small reductions of Roman sculptures as well as improvising upon the themes and styles of Antiquity. His well-knit cleanly defined torsos recall the art of Andrea Mantegna
, the giant artistic personality of Mantua.
His bronzes were remarkable for their extremely fine facture, meticulously cast and finely cleaned and finished. His black patination is characteristic.. He was the first sculptor to realize the value of casting replicas of his bronzes by preserving his refined wax originals. His cool, refined, slightly precious works were designed for close appreciation in the privacy of a courtly studiolo.
Bonacolsi also worked as a restorer. On one of the marble horses of the Dioscuri on the Quirinal in Rome
his signature is discreetly inscribed. His trip to Rome, where he was able to study the Apollo Belvedere
at firsthand, is his only known venture outside Mantua.
He died at Gazzuolo in 1528.
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
they recognized in his work, was a 16th century North Italian sculptor, known for his finely detailed small bronzes all'Antica—coolly classicizing, often with gilded details, and silver-inlaid eyes, a refinement that is found in some classical and Hellenistic Greek bronzes.
There is very little documentation of Bonacolsi, in spite of the aristocratic name he bore, that of the signori of Mantua who preceded the Gonzaga
House of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
until 1328. Born probably in Gazzuolo, near Mantua, he may have been trained as a goldsmith, like his only rival in Mantua, Andrea Riccio. He found patronage among the Gonzaga, at first in the court that gathered at Gazzuolo around the natural son and favorite of Ludovico Gonzaga, Gianfrancesco and his wife Antonia del Balzo, whose wedding in 1479 was commemorated in a pair of medallions by Bonacolsi. Gianfrancesco had recently come into possession of the fief and a refined court gathered round the young couple, both intellectual and artistic: Ludovico Ariosto
Ludovico Ariosto
Ludovico Ariosto was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic Orlando Furioso . The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato, describes the adventures of Charlemagne, Orlando, and the Franks as they battle against the Saracens with diversions...
, Bernardo Tasso
Bernardo Tasso
Bernardo Tasso , born in Bergamo, was an Italian courtier and poet.He was, for many years, secretary in the service of the prince of Salerno, and his wife Porzia de Rossi was closely connected with the most illustrious Neapolitan families...
, Matteo Bandello
Matteo Bandello
-Biography:Matteo Bandello was born at Castelnuovo Scrivia, near Tortona , c. 1480 or 1485. He received a good education, and entered the church, but does not seem to have been very interested in theology. For many years he lived at Mantua, and superintended the education of the celebrated Lucrezia...
, Baldassare Castiglione
Baldassare Castiglione
Baldassare Castiglione, count of was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissance author.-Biography:Castiglione was born into an illustrious Lombard family at Casatico, near Mantua, where his family had constructed an impressive palazzo...
and l'Antico. At Gazzuolo the parish church became the burial place of the Gonzaga: there Pico della Mirandola is interred.
Bonacolsi found patrons after 1490 above all in the brilliant court at Mantua of Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whose innovative style of dressing was copied by women throughout Italy and at the French court...
, who married Francesco II Gonzaga
Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua
Francesco II Gonzaga was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1484 until his death.-Biography:Gonzaga was born in Mantua, the son of Marquess Federico I Gonzaga. He had a career as a condottiero acting as Venice's commander from 1489 to 1498...
in that year. In Mantua one of Renaissance Italy's finest collections of Roman sculptures and Antiquities was to be found. Bonacolsi made many small reductions of Roman sculptures as well as improvising upon the themes and styles of Antiquity. His well-knit cleanly defined torsos recall the art of Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
, the giant artistic personality of Mantua.
His bronzes were remarkable for their extremely fine facture, meticulously cast and finely cleaned and finished. His black patination is characteristic.. He was the first sculptor to realize the value of casting replicas of his bronzes by preserving his refined wax originals. His cool, refined, slightly precious works were designed for close appreciation in the privacy of a courtly studiolo.
Bonacolsi also worked as a restorer. On one of the marble horses of the Dioscuri on the Quirinal 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...
his signature is discreetly inscribed. His trip to Rome, where he was able to study the Apollo Belvedere
Apollo Belvedere
The Apollo Belvedere or Apollo of the Belvedere—also called the Pythian Apollo— is a celebrated marble sculpture from Classical Antiquity. It was rediscovered in central Italy in the late 15th century, during the Renaissance...
at firsthand, is his only known venture outside Mantua.
He died at Gazzuolo in 1528.
Representative works
- National Gallery, Washington, Medallions of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and of Antonia del Balzo his wife, 1479.
- Galleria Estense, Modena: The Gonzaga Vase, 1481
- Bargello Museum: Part-gilded bronze medallion of Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra, one of a series celebrating Hercules, probably to flatter Ercole d'Este (died 1505). Five more from the sequence are in Vienna, and two at the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
- Bargello, Eros, 1490, if, as has been supposed, it was made as a wedding gift to Isabella d'Este
- Justus Liebighaus, Frankfurt, Apollo Belvedere. Bronze, part gilded. The Apollo Belvedere was moved to the Cortile del Belvedere in the Vatican in 1509. Before that time it was in the personal collection of Pope Julius IIPope Julius IIPope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
, where l'Antico may have had access to it. There are other examples of this sculpture in the Fitzwilliam MuseumFitzwilliam MuseumThe Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
, Cambridge and in the Ca' d'OroCa' d'OroCa' d'Oro is a palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, northern Italy. One of the older palazzi, it has always been known as Ca' d'Oro due to the gilt and polychrome external decorations which once adorned its walls.The Palazzo was built between 1428 and 1430 for the Contarini family, who provided...
, Venice. - Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Venus Felix ca 1495. A reinterpretation rather than a reproduction.
- Frick Museum, New York: Hercules, probably 1499. bronze part-gilded, silver inlays
- Metropolitan Museum: Seated Paris ca 1500
- Louvre Museum: Young Hercules
- Victoria and Albert Museum, Meleager bronze, part gilded. The complementary figure of the boar is missing.
- Rijksmuseum: Cupid, firing an arrow. ca 1519
- J. Paul Getty Museum: Bust of a Young Man, c. 1520
Further reading
- Manfred Leithe-Jasper, 1986. Renaissance Master Bronzes from the Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (London: Scala Publications) General background to Renaissance bronzes.
External links
- Web Gallery of Art: L'Antico
- Gazzuolo