Andrea Solari (also Solario) (1460–1524) was an

Italian Renaissance painter Italian Renaissance painting is the painting of the period beginning in the late 13th century and flourishing from the early 15th to late 16th centuries, occurring in the Italian Peninsula, which was at that time divided into many political sta ...

of the Milanese school. He was initially named ''Andre del Gobbo'', but more confusingly as ''Andrea del Bartolo'' a name shared with two other Italian painters, the 14th-century Siennese Andrea di Bartolo, and the 15th-century Florentine Andrea di Bartolo. His paintings can be seen in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

The Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

and the Château de Gaillon (

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, France). One of his better-known paintings is the '' Madonna with the Green Cushion'' (c. 1507) in the Louvre.

History

Andrea Solario - Mary Magdalen - Walters 37509

Solario was born in Milan. He was one of the most important followers of

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

, and brother of Cristoforo Solari, who gave him his first training whilst employed extensively on work at the

Milan cathedral Milan Cathedral ( ; ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary (), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, Nativity of St. Mary (), it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdi ...

, and at the

Certosa di Pavia The Certosa di Pavia is a monastery complex in Lombardy, Northern Italy, situated near a small village of the same name in the Province of Pavia, north of Pavia. Built from 1396 to 1495, it was once located at the end of the Visconti Park a l ...

. In 1490 he accompanied his brother to

, where he seems to have been strongly influenced by

Antonello da Messina Antonello da Messina (; 1425–1430February 1479), properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio, but also called Antonello degli Antoni and Anglicized as Anthony of Messina, was an Italian painter from Messina, active during the Italian Early Ren ...

, who was then active in the city. The fine portrait of a Venetian Senator (currently at the National Gallery of London) displayed Antonello's plastic conception of form and was probably painted about 1492. The two brothers returned to Milan in 1493. The ''

Ecce Homo ''Ecce homo'' (, , ; "behold the man") are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the Gospel of John, when he presents a scourged Jesus, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his crucif ...

'' at the Poldi-Pezzoli Museum, notable for its strong modelling, may have been painted soon after his arrival. Solari's earliest dated work is a ''Holy Family and St. Jerome'' with a fine landscape background, executed at

Murano Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures). It is famous for its glass making. It was o ...

in 1495 and now in the Brera Gallery. The original work influenced Correggio's painting, The Holy Family with Saint Jerome in 1515. The Leonardesque type of the Madonna proves that Andrea after his return from Venice, became strongly influenced by the great Florentine artist, who was then carrying everything before him. To this period of Andrea belong a small ''Crucifixion'' (1503, at the Louvre) and the portrait of Charles d'Amboise (Louvre); the portrait of Giovanni Longoni (1505, National Gallery of London); the ''Annunciation'' (1506,

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities University museum, museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

); and the '' Madonna with the Green Cushion'' (Louvre), for which a sensitive drawing of the Virgin's head is in the

Biblioteca Ambrosiana The Biblioteca Ambrosiana is a historic library in Milan, Italy, also housing the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Ambrosian art gallery. Named after Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, it was founded in 1609 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, whose age ...

at Milan; and the ''Head of the Baptist in a silver charger'' (1507, Louvre). In 1507 Andrea Solari went to France with letters of introduction to the Cardinal of

Amboise Amboise (; ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Today a small market town, it was once home to the French royal court. Geography Amboise lies on the banks of the river Loire, east of Tours. It is also about awa ...

, and was employed for two years on frescoes in the chapel of his castle of

Gaillon Gaillon () is a commune in the Eure department in northern France. History The origins of Gaillon are not really known. In 892, Rollo, a Viking chief, might have ravaged Gaillon and the region, before he became the first prince of the Normans ...

in Normandy. According to Giovanni Morelli's suggestion, the artist may have visited

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

before returning to his native country, and this may account for the Flemish character of his later work. The artist was back in Italy in 1515, the date of the ''Flight into Egypt'' ( Poldi-Pezzoli Collection) with its harmonious and detailed landscape background. To this period belong the ''Procession to Calvary'' (

Borghese Gallery The or Borghese Gallery is an art gallery in Rome, Italy, housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. At the outset, the gallery building was integrated with its gardens, but nowadays the Villa Borghese gardens are considered a separate touri ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

); the portrait of the Chancellor Domenico Morone (Palazzo Scotti, Milan); and the ''Woman playing a guitar'' (at the National Gallery of Ancient Art, Rome). Andrea's last work was an altarpiece representing ''The Assumption of the Virgin'' for the

, left unfinished at his death and completed by

Bernardino Campi Bernadino Campi (1522–1591) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cremona, who worked in Reggio Emilia. He is known as one of the teachers of Sofonisba Anguissola and of Giovanni Battista Trotti (il Malosso). In Cremona, his extended family o ...

about 1576.

Works

* ''Portrait of a Young Man'', c. 1490, oil on panel, 31x28 cm,

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (, ; named after its founder, Baron Heinrich Thyssen, Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza), or simply the Thyssen, is an art museum in Madrid, Spain, located near the Museo del Prado, Prado Museum on one of the city ...

* ''Madonna with Child'', c. 1495, oil on panel, 30,5x27 cm,

, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum * ''Man with a Pink Carnation'', c. 1495, oil on panel, 50x39 cm, National Gallery of London * ''Christ carrying the cross'', 1495–1500, oil on panel, 34x26 cm,

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo The Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo is a public art museum in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. Established in 1851, the museum exhibits mainly paintings by local artists dated from the Thirteenth through the Eighteenth century. The museum's current collec ...

* ''Portrait of a Man'', c. 1500, oil on panel, 42x32 cm, Milan, Brera Gallery * ''Christ crowned with thorns'', 1500–1505, oil on panel, 39x31 cm,

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

, Accademia Carrara * ''Head of a Bearded Man'', 1500–1510, black, red, and yellow chalk on brownish paper,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the third-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5.36 million v ...

* ''Portrait of Giovanni Cristoforo Longoni'', 1505, oil on panel, 79x60,5 cm, National Gallery of London * ''Ecce Homo'', 1505–1506, oil on panel, 43x33 cm, Milan, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum * ''Ecce Homo'', 1506–1507, oil on panel, 43x34 cm,

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

National Museum of Serbia The National Museum of Serbia () is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square (Belgrade), Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and three stree ...

* ''Lamentation over the Dead Christ'', c. 1505–1507, oil on panel, 168x152 cm,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

* ''Ecce Homo'', 1505–1507, oil on panel, 57x44 cm,

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

* '' The Head of John the Baptist'', 1507, oil on poplar board * ''Portrait of Charles d'Amboise'', c. 1507, oil on panel, 75x52 cm,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

* ''The Head of Saint John the Baptist on a Charger'', 1507, oil on panel, 46x43 cm, Paris, Louvre * '' Madonna with the Green Cushion'', 1507, oil on panel, 59x47 cm, Paris, Louvre * ''Christ's flagellation'', c. 1509, oil on panel, 63x45 cm,

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is an List of art museums#North America, art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at ...

* ''Madonna with Child'', c. 1509, oil on panel, 27,2x27,9 cm, Milan, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum * ''Woman playing the lute'', c. 1510, oil on panel, 65x52 cm,

Palazzo Barberini The Palazzo Barberini () is a 17th-century palace in Rome, facing the Piazza Barberini in Rione Trevi. Today, it houses the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, the main national collection of older paintings in Rome. History Around 1549 Cardinal ...

, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica * ''St Jerome in the desert'', 1510–1515, oil on panel, 69x543 cm,

County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...

Bowes Museum The Bowes Museum is an art museum, art gallery in the town of Barnard Castle, in County Durham in northern England. It was built to designs by Jules Pellechet and John Edward Watson to house the art collection of John Bowes (art collector), Jo ...

* ''St John the Baptist''; ''St Anthony'', 1512, oil on panel, 16x13 cm each, Milan, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum * ''Christ carrying the cross'', 1513, oil on panel, 45.5 x 34 cm,

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

, Musée des Beaux-Arts * '' Rest on the Flight into Egypt'', 1515, oil on panel, 76x55 cm, Milan, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum * ''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

with the Head of

St John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

'', 1520–1524, oil on panel, 58,5x57,5 cm,

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien ( "Vienna Museum of art history, Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, i ...

* ''Salome with the Head of St John the Baptist'', ca. 1507–9, oil on wood, 57.2x47 cm, New York, Metropolitan Museum * ''Blessing Christ'', c. 1524, oil on panel, 203x130 cm, New York, Metropolitan Museum * ''The Assumption of the Virgin'', 1524, oil on panel, 374x217 cm,

Gallery

File:Andrea Solario 003.jpg, ''Charles d'Amboise'', c. 1507 - oil on canvas; H. 75 cm, W. 52 cm, Louvre File:Andrea Solario - The Crucifixion - WGA21599.jpg, ''Christ on the Cross'', 1503 - oil on wood; H. 111.5 cm, W. 77 cm, Louvre File:Andrea Solario - The Lute Player - WGA21604.jpg, ''Woman playing the lute'', c. 1510 - oil on canvas; H. 62,6 cm, W.49,5 cm, National Gallery of Ancient Art File:Andrea Solario 004.jpg, ''Man with a Pink Carnation'', c. 1495 - Oil & egg tempera on poplar; H. 50 cm, W. 39 cm, National Gallery of London File:Andrea Solario - Portrait of a Man - WGA21606.jpg, ''Portrait of a Man'', c. 1500 - oil on panel; H.42 cm, W. 32 cm, Brera Gallery File:Andrea Solario - Portrait of a Young Man - WGA21607.jpg, ''Portrait of a Young Man'', after 1490 - Oil on panel; H. 31 cm, W. 28 cm,

File:Andrea Solario - Portrait of a Man - WGA21608.jpg, ''Portrait of a Man'', c. 1497 - Oil on wood; H. 48 cm, W. 38 cm,

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

File:Andrea Solario 008.jpg, ''Portrait of Giovanni Cristoforo Longoni'', 1505 - oil on panel; H. 79 cm, W. 60,5 cm, National Gallery of London File:Solario, Andrea-Christ portant sa croix-1513-Nantes.jpg, ''Christ carrying the cross'', 1513, oil on panel, 45,5 x 34 cm,

, Musée des Beaux-Arts File:Andrea Solario - Head of a Bearded Man - WGA21611.jpg, ''Head of a Bearded Man'', 1500-1510 - black, red, and yellow chalk on brownish paper; H. 374 mm, W. 273 mm,

File:Andrea Solario - Rest during the Flight to Egypt - WGA21601.jpg, '' Rest on the Flight into Egypt'', 1515 - oil on panel; H. 77 cm, W. 55 cm, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum File:Andrea Solario - Salome with the Head of St John the Baptist - WGA21610.jpg, ''Salome receives the Head of St John the Baptist'', 1506-7 - oil on panel; H. 57 cm, W. 47 cm,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

References

External links

*
Andrea Solario on Artcyclopedia

The Solaris and the Della Portas

''Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman''
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Solari (see index)
Painters of reality: the legacy of Leonardo and Caravaggio in Lombardy
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Solari (see index) {{DEFAULTSORT:Solari, Andrea 1460 births 1524 deaths 15th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 16th-century Italian painters Painters from Milan Italian Renaissance painters Pupils and followers of Leonardo da Vinci

History

Works

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links