Antonio del Massaro da Viterbo, or ''Antonio da Viterbo'', nicknamed il Pastura (c. 1450–1516) was an Italian painter.

Life and career

The earliest mention of Il Pastura occurs in December 1478, when the artist participated in the establishment of Foundation of Art and University of San Luca dei Pittori, in Rome. Il Pastura may have lived in Rome for some time before this event, although the details of his career in Rome are uncertain. However, Il Pastura certainly participated in decorating some work by

Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian Renaissance painter. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his small stature a ...

in the rooms of the Borgia Apartment in the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

. In

Viterbo Viterbo (; Central Italian, Viterbese: ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Lazio region of Italy, the Capital city, capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in ...

, Il Pastura painted the ''Presepio con i Santi Giovanni Battista e Bartolomeo'' (''

Nativity Scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmastide, Christmas season, of ar ...

with Saints

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 ...

and

Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...

'' now in the Museo Civico of Viterbo. After that, he traveled to

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...

, where it is documented that between 1497 and 1499 he completed the restoration of

frescoes Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

originally painted by Ugolino di Prete Ilario for the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, work which had been started by Pinturicchio. For that Cathedral, il Pastura worked on pieces that featured

Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

scenes such as the ''

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

'', '' Visitation'', '' Presentation to the Temple'', and ''

Flight into Egypt The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13–Matthew 2:23, 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the Biblical Magi, visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Saint Joseph, Joseph in a dream telling ...

''. He returned to Viterbo in 1504, and painted a piece called ''San Terenziano, San Rocco e San Sebastiano'' ('' Saint Terence,

Saint Roch Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79; traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327), also called Rock in English, was a Majorcan Catholic confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he was especially invo ...

, and

Saint Sebastian Sebastian (; ) was an early Christianity, Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this d ...

''), which was probably influenced by the work of Luca Signorelli. It is conserved in the church of Santa Maria a Capranica. After the death of Lorenzo da Viterbo, Il Pastura became the most important Viterbese painter of the time. He created frescoes in Viterbo such as ''Santi Giovanni Battista, Girolamo e Lorenzo'' (''Saints

, James, and Lawrence'') for the

baptistery In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...

of Santa Maria Nuova, which was possibly influenced by the work of Antoniazzo Romano and

Perugino Pietro Perugino ( ; ; born Pietro Vannucci or Pietro Vanucci; – 1523), an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael became his most famous ...

. He also decorated the

aedicule In ancient Roman religion, an ''aedicula'' (: ''aediculae'') is a small shrine, and in classical architecture refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue,"aedicula, n." ''O ...

for the courtyard of the

Chigi Palace The Chigi Palace ( ) is a palace and former noble residence in Rome which is the seat of the Council of Ministers and the official residence of the Prime Minister of Italy. It is located in the Piazza Colonna, next to Palazzo Montecitorio, seat ...

with a ''Madonna and Child''. Other important works, executed between 1508 and 1509, include the decoration of the chancel of the cathedral of Tarquinia, which was commissioned by the Vitelleschi family.

Critical reception

The Italian scholar Italo Faldi has observed the success with critics that Il Pastura's work has enjoyed. Even though

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

did not include Il Pastura's name in his ''

Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' () is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-century Italian painter and architect Giorgio Vasari, which is considered "perhaps the most famous, and even today the ...

'', Il Pastura's reputation benefited from a resurgence of interest in his work in the 19th century. One of the first

monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...

s on an Italian painter was one written on Il Pastura, in 1901, by E. Steinmann.''Antonio da Viterbo'',

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, 1901).

Works

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

**''Madonna in trono con Bambino benedicente tra santi'', Amelia, Italy **''Deposizione'', ''Cristo in pietà con gli strumenti della passione'',

Canino Canino is a town and ''comune'' of Italy, in the province of Viterbo (northern Lazio) in the internal part of Maremma Laziale. It is west of Valentano and northwest of Viterbo. It is also near the ancient Etruscan town of Vulci, and the des ...

, church of San Francesc

**''San Rocco, San Terenziano e San Sebastiano'', Capranica Prenestina, Capranica, church of Santa Maria **''Madonna con Bambino in un paesaggio'',

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, private collection (1926) **''Coppie di angeli reggenti lo stemma del Duomo'',

, Cathedral of Orviet

**''Presentazione al Tempio, Annunciazione, Visitazione'', Orvieto, Cathedral of Orvieto (chancel

**''Madonna con Bambino in trono'', Orvieto, Museo dell'Opera del Duom

**''San Sebastiano e donatore'', Orvieto, Museo dell'Opera del Duom

**''Affresco con Santi'', Orvieto, church of Santissima Trinità **''Madonna con Bambino in trono tra Santi'', Rome, San Cosimato **''Madonna col Bambino'', Rome, Pinacoteca Capitolinabr>
**''Sacra Famiglia con San Giovannino in adorazione del Bambino'', Rome, collezione Rospigliosi **''Madonna con Bambino tra Santi'', Rome, private collection of Principe Massimo **''Madonna con Bambino benedicente'', Rome, private collection **''Madonna del Latte in trono'',

Tarquinia Tarquinia (), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Central Italy, known chiefly for its ancient Etruscans, Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropolis, necropoleis, or cemeteries. Tarquinia was designated as a ...

, Museo Nazionale **''Affreschi'', Tarquinia, cathedral **''Madonna con Bambino benedicente tra Santi'',

Terni Terni ( ; ; ) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria, in Central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera (Tiber), River Nera. It is northeast ...

, Pinacoteca comunale **''Madonna con Bambino incoronata da angeli in una mandorla di cherubini'',

Tuscania Tuscania is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Viterbo, Lazio Region, Italy. Until the late 19th century the town was known as Toscanella. History Antiquity According to the legend, Tuscania was founded by Aeneas' son, Ascanius, wher ...

(VT), chiesa di Santa Maria del Riposo **''Madonna con Bambino benedicente in una mandorla di cherubini'',

Vercelli Vercelli (; ) is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around 600 BC. ...

, Museo Borgogna (già Roma, collezione principe Orsini

**''Affreschi'',

, Museo civico (dalla chiesa di San Domenico) **''Natività, adorazione dei pastori con Santi'', Viterbo, Museo civico **''Stendardo processionale'', Viterbo, Museo civico (associated with church of San Clemente) **''Madonna con Bambino in trono e angeli tra Santi'', Viterbo, Museo civico (associated with church of Santa Maria del Paradiso) **''Orazione nell'orto'', Viterbo, Museo civico **''Edicola affrescata'', Viterbo, Palazzo Chigi (Cortile) **''San Rocco e donatore'', Viterbo, church of Sant'Angelo in Spatha **''Affresco'', Viterbo, church of Santa Maria Nuova **''Affreschi votivi'', Viterbo, church of Santa Maria della Peste *France **''Madonna del Latte tra Santi'',

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

, Musée des beaux-art

**''Madonna con Bambino benedicente in un paesaggio'', Paris, Collection of Comte D'Hautpoul *

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

**''Madonna con Bambino, due angeli e San Giovannino'',

Vaduz Vaduz (; or ; High Alemannic pronunciation: [])Hans Stricker, Toni Banzer, Herbert Hilbe: ''Liechtensteiner Namenbuch. Die Orts- und Flurnamen des Fürstentums Liechtenstein.'' Band 2: ''Die Namen der Gemeinden Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan.'' ...

, Galleria Liechtenstein *

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

**''Madonna con Bambino'',

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

, Bruno Scardeoni Collection (1975) *United States **''Morte di Cristo con Maria e San Giovanni'',

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Georgia, High Museum of Ar

**''Annunciazione'', Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Artsbr>
**''Madonna in trono con Bambino benedicente in un paesaggio'', Cambridge (Massachusetts), Cambridge (Massachusetts), Fogg Art Museum of Harvard Universit

**''Madonna con Bambino in trono tra Santi'',

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

(Pennsylvania), Museum of Art, John G. Johnson Collectio

**''Madonna con Bambino e due angeli'', New York, Finch College **''Madonna con Bambino ed i Santi Girolamo e Francesco'', New York,

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 ...

br>
**''Madonna con Bambino in un paesaggio'',

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...

, Ringling Museum of Ar

**''Madonna e due angeli in adorazione del Bambino'', Worcester (Massachusetts), Worcester (Massachusetts), Art Museu

*

Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...

**''Allegoria della Retorica, della Musica e della Astrologia'', Appartamento Borgia (The Room of the Liberal Arts

**''Resurrezione, Pentecoste, Assunzione della Vergine, Angeli reggenti lo stemma di Papa Alessandro VI'', Appartamento Borgia (sala dei Misteri), as a collaborator with

br>

References

Sources

*T. Verdon (editor), ''Gesù. Il corpo, il volto nell’arte'', Cinisello Balsamo, 2010, p. 200 *A. M. Ghisalberti, ''Dizionario Bibliografico degli Italiani'', Rome 2004, p. 583 *K. J. P. Lowe, ''Nuns' Chronicles and Convent Culture in Renaissance and Counter-Reformation Italy'', Cambridge 2003, pp. 334–337 *A. Schivi, ''Le Collezioni del museo'', in C. Lacchia and A. Schiavi (editors), ''Museo Borgogna. Storia e Collezioni'', Cologno Monzese 2001, p. 32 *K. Lagemann, ''Spätgotische Malerei in Latium: Stilkritische Analyse und Katalog'', Munster-Hamburg-London 2000, pp. 20–24 *M. Clayton, ''Raphael and His Circle: Drawings from Windsor Castle'', London 1999, p. 40 *L. M. Galli Michero, ''Il Museo Borgogna a Vercelli. Guida alle Collezioni'', Turin 1999, p. s.n. *J. Turner, ''Dictionary of Art'', New York 1996, p. 817 *F. Todini, ''La Pittura Umbra. Dal Duecento al primo Cinquecento'', Milan 1989, vol. I, pp. 258–260, vol. II, pp. 537–541 *F. Zeri, editor, ''La Pittura in Italia. Il Quattrocento'', Milan 1987, tomo II, pp. 728–729 *A. Zuccari, ''L'attività viterbese di Antonio del Massaro detto il Pastura'', in ''Il Quattrocento a Viterbo'', Viterbo, Museo Civico, catalogue of exhibition, Rome 1983, pp. 222–239 *L. Berandi, ''Il Civico Museo Borgogna Vercelli'', Vercelli 1982, p. 102 *P. Mattiangeli, ''Annio da Viterbo, ispiratore dei cicli pittorici. Documenti e ricerche'', Rome 1981 *A. Venturi, ''Storia dell'Arte Italiana'', Milan 1975, p. 582 *I. Faldi, ''Pittori Viterbesi di cinque secoli'', Rome 1970, pp. 38–45 *V. Viale, ''Civico Museo Francesco Borgogna Vercelli. I dipinti'', Vercelli 1969, p. 67, n. 96 *V. Golzio, G. Zander, ''L'arte in Roma nel XV secolo'', Bologna 1968, pp. 252, 265–266, 290, 303 *L. Mortari, ''Il Museo Diocesano di Orte'', Viterbo 1967, pp. 21–23 *M. Pepe, "L'attività romana di Antonio da Viterbo", in ''Capitolium'', November 1964, pp. 558–562 *I. Faldi, ''Museo Civico di Viterbo. Dipinti e sculture dal Medioevo al XVIII secolo'', Viterbo 1955, pp- 15, 19–21 *I. Faldi, L. Mortari, ''La pittura viterbese dal XIV al XVI secolo'', catalogue of exhibition, Viterbo 1954 *B. Berenson, ''Italian Pictures of the Renaissance'', Oxford 1953, pp. 321–332 *L. Bohling, ''Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte'', in ''Prinzipielles zum deutschen Parallelfaltenstil'', VII, 1938, pp. 20–40 *M. Gabbrielli, ''Il Museo Civico di Viterbo'', in ''Ministero della educazione nazionale. Direzione generale delle antichità e belle arti'', Roma 1932, pp. 16–17,33 *V. Viale, ''Guida alle raccolte dei musei Leone e Borgogna di Vercelli'', Vercelli 1934, p. 82 *U. Gnoli, ''Pittori e miniatori dell'Umbria'', Spoleto 1923 (rist. an. 1980), pp. 35–36 *U. Gnoli, in ''Art in America'', IX, 1920, p. 24 *C. Ricci, ''Antonio da Viterbo detto il Pastura e l'Appartamento Borgia'', in ''Per l'inaugurazione del Museo Civico di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1912, pp. 23–27 *C. Pinzi, ''Memorie sulla chiesa di Santa Maria della Verità'', in ''Per l'inaugurazione del Museo Civico di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1912, pp. 10–12 *C. Pinzi, ''I principali monumenti di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1911, pp. 183–192 *E. Steinmann, ''Antonio da Viterbo'', Munich 1901 *''Catalogue des Objets d'Art et d'Ameublement garnissant le grand appartement au premier étage du Palais du prince Orsini'' Roma, catalogo d'asta (Roma, 12 – 23 marzo 1896), Rome 1896, p. 58, n. 421 *E. Muntz, ''Lea arts à la cour des papes'', Paris 1889, p. 99, p. 190 nota *E. Muntz, ''Lea arts à la cour des papes'', Paris 1882, p. 99 *C. Pinzi, ''Gli ospizi medievali e l'ospedale grande di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1893, pp. 129–130 *L. Fiumi, ''Il duomo di Orvieto'', Rome 1866, pp. 299–305 {{DEFAULTSORT:Massaro, Antonio Del 15th-century Italian painters 16th-century Italian painters Italian Renaissance painters Quattrocento painters Italian male painters People from Viterbo Painters from Lazio 1450 births 1516 deaths