Benedetto Montagna (c. 1480–1555/58) was an Italian engraver and painter. Montagna was born in Vicenza, the son of the leading painter of the city, Bartolomeo Montagna, with whom he trained and perhaps continued to work. His approximately 53 engravings seem to have been produced in the period from about 1500 until his father died in 1523 and he inherited the workshop; in these years he was "the most prolific engraver of his generation in northern Italy".[1] He ran the workshop into at least the 1540s, but his paintings fell behind the development of Italian styles as they largely follow his father's style, less successfully. Many do not survive. His prints are generally found more significant by art historians.[2]
He was given a power of attorney for his father in 1504, suggesting a birth date around 1480. His father was paid in 1517 for some painting Benedetto did in the Palazzo del Podestà, Vicenza, seat of the chief magistrate;[4] Vicenza had long been a territory of the Venetian Republic. Otherwise, his earliest documented works are frescos, which have not survived, for a chapel in Padua, painted in 1522. His father's wills of 1521 and 1523 reveal that he was not then married but had an illegitimate son. When his father died in 1523, Benedetto took over the workshop. He may already have ceased to make engravings by this point. His last documented painting is from 1541,[5] and he had certainly died by 4 April 1558.[6]
A statue of the Madonna and Child in the Louvre has been attributed to him.[7] The painter Giovanni Speranza, briefly mentioned by Vasari, was a collaborator, who was perhaps some years older.
In 2004 there was an exhibition on the work of the two Montagnas, father and son, held in Palladio's Villa Caldogno near Vicenza.[8]
Printsedit
His prints are mostly relatively small,[9] with the longest side rarely more than about 200 mm or 8 inches. The figures are often smaller relative to the overall size than in other contemporary Italian prints. Most of his prints are prominently signed with his full name, unlike the initials or monograms used by many printmakers of this period. Like Giulio Campagnola, the obtrusive signatures reveal "a remarkable willingness to intrude upon an image for the sake of self-promotion".[10] In all, 47 of his prints are signed or carry his initials.[11]
Many of his prints borrow elements from the work of his father, or other artists, mostly via their prints. Like other Italian printmakers in this period, his technique and especially his landscape backgrounds are heavily influenced by Albrecht Dürer. These influences are apparent throughout the development of his prints, whose rough chronological sequence is agreed, and some prints are direct copies of their works, or nearly so. As his style develops, influences from Giulio Campagnola, Girolamo Mocetto, and Marcantonio Raimondi appear. In turn, Montagna influenced Mocetto, Nicoletto da Modena and Giovanni Antonio da Brescia.[12]
His prints include seven, from about 1515–20, that are close reworkings of some of the woodcut illustrations in an edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses in Italian published in Venice in 1497.[13] The Birth of Adonis (see gallery) is an eighth Ovidian print not using this source;[14] as in many prints with mythological subjects, the two women wear essentially contemporary dress (compare the figures in the print of Europa). Examples of common northern subjects that were very rare in Italian printmaking of the period are an engraving of a soldier,[15] and one of peasants fighting.[16]
The Birth of Adonis, who emerges from a tree assisted by two women
^Sheehan, 307, 311; Zucker, 82 ( "pictures of no great merit"); Richardson ("As a painter, he is of merely local significance. His style is based on his father’s, with some admixture from contemporaries such as Moretto, Pordenone and Domenico Campagnola. He is more important, however, as an engraver"); BM
^Rubin, Patricia. "'Che è Di Questo Culazzino!': Michelangelo and the Motif of the Male Buttocks in Italian Renaissance Art." p. 440, note 40, Oxford Art Journal, vol. 32, no. 3, 2009, pp. 427–446, JSTOR
Landau, David, and Parshall, Peter. The Renaissance Print, Yale, 1996, ISBN0300068832
Richardson, Francis L., "Montagna." Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 19 Jan. 2017, subscription required
Sheehan, Jacquelyn L., in: Jay A. Levinson (ed.) Early Italian Engravings from the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington (Catalogue), 1973, LOC 7379624
Zucker, M. J., Early Italian Masters (1980), 25 [XIII/ii] of The Illustrated Bartsch, ed. W. Strauss (New York, 1978–), pp. 198–230; Commentary (1984), pp. 385–432
Benedetto e Bartolomeo Montagna e i grandi maestri dell’incisione europea del Cinquecento (exh. cat., ed. F. Morello; Caldogno, Villa Caldogno, 2004)
AM Hind, 'Early Italian Engraving', vol.V (53 nos catalogued)
January 01, 1970
benedetto, montagna, 1480, 1555, italian, engraver, painter, montagna, born, vicenza, leading, painter, city, bartolomeo, montagna, with, whom, trained, perhaps, continued, work, approximately, engravings, seem, have, been, produced, period, from, about, 1500,. Benedetto Montagna c 1480 1555 58 was an Italian engraver and painter Montagna was born in Vicenza the son of the leading painter of the city Bartolomeo Montagna with whom he trained and perhaps continued to work His approximately 53 engravings seem to have been produced in the period from about 1500 until his father died in 1523 and he inherited the workshop in these years he was the most prolific engraver of his generation in northern Italy 1 He ran the workshop into at least the 1540s but his paintings fell behind the development of Italian styles as they largely follow his father s style less successfully Many do not survive His prints are generally found more significant by art historians 2 Engraving of Orpheus He engraved primarily subjects from classical mythology with a middle period with many religious subjects in about 1506 12 3 Contents 1 Life 2 Prints 3 Notes 4 References 5 Further readingLife edit nbsp St Paul the Hermit sees the death of St Anthony the Abbot engraving He was given a power of attorney for his father in 1504 suggesting a birth date around 1480 His father was paid in 1517 for some painting Benedetto did in the Palazzo del Podesta Vicenza seat of the chief magistrate 4 Vicenza had long been a territory of the Venetian Republic Otherwise his earliest documented works are frescos which have not survived for a chapel in Padua painted in 1522 His father s wills of 1521 and 1523 reveal that he was not then married but had an illegitimate son When his father died in 1523 Benedetto took over the workshop He may already have ceased to make engravings by this point His last documented painting is from 1541 5 and he had certainly died by 4 April 1558 6 A statue of the Madonna and Child in the Louvre has been attributed to him 7 The painter Giovanni Speranza briefly mentioned by Vasari was a collaborator who was perhaps some years older In 2004 there was an exhibition on the work of the two Montagnas father and son held in Palladio s Villa Caldogno near Vicenza 8 Prints editHis prints are mostly relatively small 9 with the longest side rarely more than about 200 mm or 8 inches The figures are often smaller relative to the overall size than in other contemporary Italian prints Most of his prints are prominently signed with his full name unlike the initials or monograms used by many printmakers of this period Like Giulio Campagnola the obtrusive signatures reveal a remarkable willingness to intrude upon an image for the sake of self promotion 10 In all 47 of his prints are signed or carry his initials 11 Many of his prints borrow elements from the work of his father or other artists mostly via their prints Like other Italian printmakers in this period his technique and especially his landscape backgrounds are heavily influenced by Albrecht Durer These influences are apparent throughout the development of his prints whose rough chronological sequence is agreed and some prints are direct copies of their works or nearly so As his style develops influences from Giulio Campagnola Girolamo Mocetto and Marcantonio Raimondi appear In turn Montagna influenced Mocetto Nicoletto da Modena and Giovanni Antonio da Brescia 12 His prints include seven from about 1515 20 that are close reworkings of some of the woodcut illustrations in an edition of Ovid s Metamorphoses in Italian published in Venice in 1497 13 The Birth of Adonis see gallery is an eighth Ovidian print not using this source 14 as in many prints with mythological subjects the two women wear essentially contemporary dress compare the figures in the print of Europa Examples of common northern subjects that were very rare in Italian printmaking of the period are an engraving of a soldier 15 and one of peasants fighting 16 nbsp The Birth of Adonis who emerges from a tree assisted by two women nbsp A satyr family nbsp A river god seated with a flowing urn and a winged genius beside him nbsp The Rape of Europa who prepares to sit on the bull which is being crowned by a companion nbsp Venus nbsp St Jerome seated beneath an arch of rock nbsp The Agony in the Garden c 1506 07 nbsp Madonna with Saints paintingNotes edit Richardson Sheehan 307 311 Zucker 82 pictures of no great merit Richardson As a painter he is of merely local significance His style is based on his father s with some admixture from contemporaries such as Moretto Pordenone and Domenico Campagnola He is more important however as an engraver BM Hind 68 Sheehan 309 318 Richardson Richardson Sheehan 307 Benezit Sheehan 307 See further reading for the catalogue Hind 68 Landau 102 Richardson Sheehan 307 311 Zucker 82 83 Richardson Hind 68 BM Zucker 83 Sheehan 328 332 Sheehan 328 Rubin Patricia Che e Di Questo Culazzino Michelangelo and the Motif of the Male Buttocks in Italian Renaissance Art p 440 note 40 Oxford Art Journal vol 32 no 3 2009 pp 427 446 JSTOR Hind 68References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benedetto Montagna Benezit Montagna Benedetto in Benezit Dictionary of Artists Oxford Art Online Oxford University Press accessed January 23 2017 subscription required BM British Museum biographical details Hind A M 1923 A History of Engraving and Etching 1923 Houghton Mifflin Co reprinted Dover Publications 1963 ISBN 0486209547 Landau David and Parshall Peter The Renaissance Print Yale 1996 ISBN 0300068832 Richardson Francis L Montagna Grove Art Online Oxford Art Online Oxford University Press Web 19 Jan 2017 subscription required Sheehan Jacquelyn L in Jay A Levinson ed Early Italian Engravings from the National Gallery of Art National Gallery of Art Washington Catalogue 1973 LOC 7379624 Zucker Mark J in K L Spangeberg ed Six Centuries of Master Prints Cincinnati Art Museum 1993 ISBN 0931537150Further reading editZucker M J Early Italian Masters 1980 25 XIII ii of The Illustrated Bartsch ed W Strauss New York 1978 pp 198 230 Commentary 1984 pp 385 432 Benedetto e Bartolomeo Montagna e i grandi maestri dell incisione europea del Cinquecento exh cat ed F Morello Caldogno Villa Caldogno 2004 AM Hind Early Italian Engraving vol V 53 nos catalogued Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Benedetto Montagna amp oldid 1169467413, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
