
Daniele Ricciarelli (; 15094 April 1566), better known as Daniele da Volterra (, ), was a
Mannerist
Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...
Italian painter and
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
.
He is best remembered for his association with
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
. Several of Daniele's most important works were based on designs made for that purpose by Michelangelo. After Michelangelo's death, Daniele was hired to cover the genitals in his ''
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
'' with vestments and loincloths. This earned him the nickname ("the
breeches
Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's ...
maker").
Biography

Daniele Ricciarelli was born in
Volterra
Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods.
History
...
(in present-day
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
). As a boy, he initially studied with the
Sienese artists
Il Sodoma
Il Sodoma (1477 – 14 February 1549) was the name given to the Italy, Italian Renaissance Painting, painter Giovanni Antonio Bazzi. Il Sodoma painted in a manner that superimposed the High Renaissance style of early 16th-century Rome onto the tr ...
and
Baldassare Peruzzi
Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena (in Ancaiano, ''frazione'' of Sovicille) and died in Rome. He worked for many years with Bramante, Raphael, and l ...
, but he was not well received and left them. He appears to have accompanied the latter to Rome in 1535, and helped paint the frescoes in the
Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne. He then became an apprentice to
Perino del Vaga.
From 1538 to 1541 he helped Perino with the painting of frescoes in the villa of Cardinal Trivuzio at Salone, in the
Massimi chapel in
Trinità dei Monti, and the chapel of the
crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
in
San Marcello al Corso
San Marcello al Corso, is an ancient titular and conventual church in Rome, Italy. It has been served by friars of the Servite Order since c. 1375 and is the headquarters of their General Curia. The cardinal-protector of the church is norma ...
. He was commissioned the painting of a frieze in the main salon of the
Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne, with the life of
Fabius Maximus.
In Rome he also started working in the circle of
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
and befriended him. Michelangelo used his influence with
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549.
He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
to secure Daniele commissions and the post of superintendent of the works of the Vatican, a position he retained until the Pope's death. Michelangelo also provided him with sketches on which Daniele based some of his paintings, especially his series of frescoes in the Orsini chapel in the Trinity College, the commission for which Daniele had received in December 1541.
Later Daniele was commissioned by Paul III to complete the decoration of the
Sala Regia. On the death of the pope in 1549 he lost his position as superintendent and the pension to which it entitled him. He then devoted himself chiefly to sculpture.
He died in Rome in 1566. According to Daniele's will, the marble knee of the missing left leg of the
Christ
Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
from Michelangelo's ''
Deposition'' was in his possession at the time of his death. Among his pupils was
Giulio Mazzoni from Piacenza. Leonardo Ricciarelli was his nephew.
Works
Daniele's best-known painting is the ''Descent from the Cross'' in the
Trinità dei Monti (), after drawings by Michelangelo; by an excess of praise this work was at one time grouped with
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
's ''
Transfiguration'' and the ''Last Communion of St. Jerome'' by
Domenichino as the most famous pictures in Rome. Daniele's
two-sided painting of David killing Goliath (restored in 2008) in 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 ...
too seems to have been based on Michelangelo's designs; for a long time it was attributed to him.
Other notable works include the ''Massacre of the Innocents'' (1557) in the
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, a portrait he drew of Michelangelo and a bust he made from Michelangelo's
death mask
A death mask is a likeness (typically in wax or plaster cast) of a person's face after their death, usually made by taking a cast or impression from the corpse. Death masks may be mementos of the dead or be used for creation of portraits. The m ...
.
A well-known sculpture is the ''Cleopatra'' in the
Belvedere. From France, Daniele received the commission to make a
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a ...
of
Henry II
Henry II may refer to:
Kings
* Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014
*Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154
*Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
, but he finished only the horse; this was later used for a statue of
Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown.
...
at the
Place Royale and melted down during the
French Revolution.
Style
The 1913 ''
Catholic Encyclopedia
''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...
'' gave the following description of Daniele's style as a painter:
The loincloths in Michelangelo's ''Last Judgment''
Daniele is infamous for having covered over, with vestments and fig-leaves, many of the genitals and backsides in Michelangelo's ''
The Last Judgment'' fresco in the
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...
. It was Pope Pius IV who ordered the 'imbraghettamento' (breeching) of the nudes on 21 January 1564. This work was begun in 1565, shortly after the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most ...
had condemned nudity in religious art. It earned Daniele the nickname "Il Braghettone" ("the breeches-maker").
He also chiseled away a part of the fresco and repainted the larger part of
Saint Catherine and the entire figure of
Saint Blaise
Blaise of Sebaste (, ''Hágios Blásios''; martyred 316 AD) was a physician and bishop of Sivas, Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr. He is counted as one of the Fourteen ...
behind her. This was done because in the original version Blaise had appeared to look at Catherine's naked behind, and because to some observers the position of their bodies suggested sexual intercourse.
The loincloths and draperies in the lower half of the fresco, however, were not painted by Daniele. His work on the Last Judgment was interrupted at the end of 1565 by the death of
Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV (; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death, in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a b ...
, after which the scaffolding he used had to be removed quickly because the chapel was needed for the election of a new pope.
Legacy
His pupils included painter
Michele Alberti.
Gallery
Image:Sybil_(Daniele_da_Volterra).jpg, ''Sybil'' (–1545); Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and holds the large ...
, Saint Petersburg
Image:Daniele_da_Volterra_002.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (), before its 2004 restoration; Trinità dei Monti, Rome
Image:Daniele da Volterra 003.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (detail, before restoration)
Image:Descentfromthecrossdetail2.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (detail, after restoration)
Image:Daniele da Volterra 004.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (detail, before restoration)
Image:Descentfromthecrossdetail1.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (detail, after restoration)
Image:Descentfromthecrossdetail3.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (detail, after restoration)
Image:Descentfromthecrossdetail4.jpg, ''Descent from the Cross'' (detail, after restoration)
Image:Madonnawithchildgiovanninoandbarbara.jpg, ''Madonna with Child, young Saint 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 Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the origin ...
'' (); Uffizi, Florence
Image:Mosesonmountsinai.jpg, ''Moses
In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...
on Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai, also known as Jabal Musa (), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is one of several locations claimed to be the Mount Sinai (Bible), biblical Mount Sinai, the place where, according to the sacred scriptures of the thre ...
'' (1545–1555); , Dresden
Image:Massacreoftheinnocents.jpg, ''Massacre of the Innocents
The Massacre (or Slaughter) of the Innocents is a story recounted in the Nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew ( 2:16– 18) in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children who are two years old and u ...
'' (); Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...
, Florence
Image:DSC02316 Daniele Da Volterra - Ritratto di Michelangelo (1564) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 6-jan-2006.jpg, Bronze portrait of Michelangelo (1564), after his death mask; Castello Sforzesco
The Sforza Castle ( ; ) is a medieval fortification located in Milan, northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 1 ...
, Milan
References
Sources
*Fabrizio Mancinelli, "The Painting of the Last Judgment: History, Technique and Restoration". In Loren Partridge, ''Michelangelo : The Last Judgment – A Glorious Restoration''. New York:
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery.
The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher Média-Participations. Run by president and CEO Mary ...
2000. .
*
External links
*
*
Bust of Michelangelo Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.
on the restoration of ''Descent from the Cross''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniele Da Volterra
1500s births
1566 deaths
People from Volterra
16th-century Italian painters
Italian male painters
Italian Mannerist painters
Catholic sculptors
16th-century Italian sculptors