Lorenzo di Bicci ( 1350 – 1427) was an Italian painter of the Florentine School considered to be one of the most important painters in Florence during the second half of the 14th century. He is believed to have learned his trade from his father, about whom little is known. Lorenzo’s style, as well as that of his contemporaries

Jacopo di Cione Jacopo di Cione (c. 1325 – c. 1399) was an Italian Gothic period painter in the Republic of Florence. Life and career Born in Florence between 1320 and 1330, he is closely associated with his three older brothers Andrea di Cione di Arcange ...

and

Niccolò di Pietro Gerini Niccolò di Pietro Gerini ( 1340 – 1414) was an Italian painter of the late Gothic period, active mainly in his native Florence although he also carried out commissions in Pisa and Prato. He was not an innovative painter but relied on tradi ...

, was influenced by the artist Andrea di Cione. Lorenzo's paintings made use of bright colors and his compositions avoided complexity. The figures he painted tended to have round faces and were often expressionless. Another one of Lorenzo's distinctive characteristics was his precision of execution. He was known for exceptional talent in drawing, an ability that he put to use at the initial stages of his painting. Unlike many celebrated Florentine artists of this period, Lorenzo mostly received commissions from the country clergy and from the lower-middle-class Florentine guilds. His successors,

Bicci di Lorenzo Bicci di Lorenzo (1373–1452) was an Italian painter and sculptor, active in Florence. He was born in Florence in 1373, the son of the painter, Lorenzo di Bicci, whose workshop he joined. He married in 1418, and in 1424 was registered in th ...

and

Neri di Bicci Neri di Bicci (1419–1491) was an Italian painter active in his native Florence. A prolific painter of mainly religious themes, he studied under his father, Bicci di Lorenzo, who had in turn studied under his father, Lorenzo di Bicci. The three ...

, continued to serve these groups.

Early life and training

Lorenzo di Bicci was born in Florence around 1350. He is thought to have been taught the art of painting by his father, who most likely went by the nickname Jacopo, although his full name is currently unknown. By 1370, Lorenzo had become a member of the

Guild of Saint Luke The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was iden ...

, the painters’ guild of Florence. The guild was named in honor of

Luke the Evangelist Luke the Evangelist was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figu ...

, the patron saint of artists, whom

John of Damascus John of Damascus or John Damascene, born Yūḥana ibn Manṣūr ibn Sarjūn, was an Arab Christian monk, priest, hymnographer, and apologist. He was born and raised in Damascus or AD 676; the precise date and place of his death is not know ...

had recognized as having painted the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

's portrait. The

brought together artists from a range of disciplines in Renaissance Florence. Lorenzo's earliest work suggests the influence of a master whose identity is unknown but who was believed to be a member of the

.Vasari, Giorgio (1987). ''Lives of the Artists.'' London: Penguin.

Early career

Lorenzo's first public work was a panel depicting ''St. Martin Enthroned'', painted for the Arte dei Vinattieri, the wine-merchants’ guild of Florence. The painting was mounted in the Florentine church of Orsanmichele on a pilaster assigned to the guild on October 4, 1380, and is now in the Depositi Galleria d'Arte in Florence. The predella depicts the episode of St. Martin dividing his cloak with the beggar. It was about this time that Lorenzo began working with the painters

Agnolo Gaddi Agnolo Gaddi (c.1350–1396) was an Italian painter. He was born and died in Florence, and was the son of the painter Taddeo Gaddi, who was himself the major pupil of the Florentine master Giotto. Agnolo was a painter and mosaicist, traine ...

, Corso di Jacopo, and Jacopo di Luca, and the goldsmiths Piero del Miglior and Niccolo del Lucia. As a group they were commissioned to value the statues of Faith and Hope by Giacomo di Pero created for the spandrels of the

Loggia della Signoria 300px, The Loggia dei Lanzi, also called the Loggia della Signoria, is a building on the south corner of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy, adjoining the Uffizi Gallery (leading to the Arno), and diagonally the Palazzo della Signori ...

in Florence. Lorenzo was commissioned to apply the blue enamelled ground and to gild the statues, work that provided him a steady income. A more significant project arrived In 1387 when Lorenzo was employed to decorate the cathedral of Florence. This was a major project already underway at the time. Together with

Spinello Aretino Spinello Aretino (c. 1350 – c. 1410) was an Italian Painting, painter from Arezzo, who was active in Tuscany at the end of the 14th and the first decade of the 15th century.Agnolo Gaddi Agnolo Gaddi (c.1350–1396) was an Italian painter. He was born and died in Florence, and was the son of the painter Taddeo Gaddi, who was himself the major pupil of the Florentine master Giotto. Agnolo was a painter and mosaicist, traine ...

, Lorenzo produced preliminary drawings for the statues of the four Apostles which would be executed in marble for the façade of the church. Once the series of statues was completed, he was then commissioned, again with Aretino and Gaddi, to paint and gild them. In his biography of the artist,

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 ...

notes that Lorenzo learned much of his craft from Spinello, probably during this time. Although

’s biography of Lorenzo is replete with misattributions, it does suggest that Lorenzo, during this period, produced frescoes both in and out of the city of Florence. Vasari suggests that Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici commissioned Lorenzo to paint the hall of the old house of the Medici family. Among other works that Vasari mentions are a shrine on the bridge of

Scandicci Scandicci () is a ''comune'' (municipality) of c. 50,000 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence. Scandicci borders the following municipalities: Campi Bisenzio, Floren ...

and a fresco of saints together with a Madonna at Cerbaia. According to Vasari, Lorenzo was then commissioned by the family of the Medici to paint a chapel in San Marco in Florence, a fresco in which he illustrated many stories of the Madonna and depicted the Virgin herself surrounded by many saints.

Later work

In 1394 Lorenzo returned to the

where he painted and gilded the statue of Charity by Jacopo di Piero Guidi. In 1395, he was commissioned to value a statue of St. Victor by Piero di Giovanni Tedesco for the facade of the Florence cathedral. Three years later, in Florence, Lorenzo created three polylobed panels for the altar of the

Madonna delle Grazie Our Lady of Graces (Italian: ''Madonna delle Grazie'' or ''Nostra Signora delle Grazie'') or Saint Mary of Graces (Italian: ''Santa Maria delle Grazie'') is a devotion to the Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. Several churches with this d ...

in the cathedral’s nave. The panels displayed half-length images of St John the Evangelist, St. Matthew, and St. Mark. Another artist, Pesello, was responsible for the image of the Agnus Dei, which centered the canopy’s vault, while Lorenzo's most significant contribution was a curtain that accompanied the image of the Virgin. This canopy has since been dismantled and Lorenzo's panels depicting the Evangelists are now housed in the Sagrestia dei Canonici in the cathedral. The Compagni della Croce di Santo Stefano in Empoli commissioned Lorenzo, in 1399, to produce a triptych. Lorenzo di Bicci - Crucifixion - WGA2171

Lorenzo di Bicci - Crucifixion - WGA2171

Lorenzo is believed to have painted two crucifixions during the years 1399 and 1400 respectively. The first is housed in the Museo della Collegiata di Sant'Andrea in Empoli and utilizes a simple, two-dimensional design. The panel represents the ''Crucifixion'' with the

, St.

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

and St.

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

at the foot of the cross. It is believed to have constituted the top half of a larger panel. The second crucifixion depicts Christ on the cross surrounded by angels collecting his spilt blood. The letters INRI labeling "Jesus of Nazareth The King of the Jews" are displayed on the red headpiece above the cross. The Christ and angels depicted in the later crucifixion are compositionally very similar to the first. Historians believe that Lorenzo painted a work of St. Francis and St. Anthony Abbot around the year 1400. The painting is thought to have occupied the left side of a multi-paneled altarpiece. The remaining panels are either lost or unidentified. The figures illustrated are the saints

, who founded the Franciscan order in the early thirteenth century, and

Anthony the Great Anthony the Great (; ; ; ; – 17 January 356) was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is distinguished from other saints named Anthony, such as , by various epithets: , , , , , and . For his importance among t ...

, a Christian monk known as the Father of All Monks. The stigmata of St Francis are pin-pointed with tiny gold rays. Information concerning the next decade of Lorenzo's life and work is scanty. From 1410 there is a record of him having been paid fourteen florins for a figure of St. Nicholas for the lunette of the portal of the Ospedale di San Matteo, Florence. This work is now at the

Accademia di Belle Arti This is a list of the tertiary-level schools or academies of fine art in Italy that are recognised by the Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, the Italian ministry of higher education. Accademie di Belle Arti The of ...

. Some historians believe Lorenzo oversaw the construction of the

Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate is a late- Gothic and early Renaissance-style residential palace located on Via de' Bardi in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. There are apparently three other palaces once associated with the Capponi family: * Pala ...

, a late-Gothic style palace located on Via de’ Bardi in Florence, Italy. This work appears to have been commissioned by

Niccolò da Uzzano Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The ...

, an Italian politician in the government of Florence. Lorenzo was often commissioned by Uzzano, and these commissions included frescoes and a painting for the Church of Saint Lucia dè Magnoli.

’s biography of Lorenzo indicates that in 1418, Lorenzo painted a large fresco of St. Thomas examining a wound in the side of Christ. This fresco additionally included the other Apostles who were shown as surrounding Christ. Adjacent to this scene Lorenzo created a fresco of St. Christopher, and Vasari suggests that up until this point, no artist had successfully depicted a figure on such a large scale with accurate proportions. Other historians have attributed these works to Bicci di Lorenzo, Lorenzo's son. In any case, both works, impressive in scale, have managed to retain their color and definition for hundreds of years. Lorenzo di Bicci - Madonna and Child - Walters 37478

Lorenzo di Bicci - Madonna and Child - Walters 37478

Madonna and child paintings

Lorenzo is reported to have completed many Madonna and child paintings, however little is known about the composition dates of these paintings. Between 1375 and 1380, Lorenzo is known to have painted a ''Madonna of Humility with Two Angels'', which is extant and held privately. Until 1936, this panel was attributed to

.Philadelphia Museum of Art. ''Paintings from Europe and the Americas in the Philadelphia Museum of Art: A Concise Catalogue''. Philadelphia, 1994, repro. p. 220 A very similar work known to have been completed by Lorenzo between 1405 and 1410 titled ''Madonna and Child with Angels'' is conserved in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, lending further support to the current attribution of the ''Madonna of Humility''. In style, Lorenzo's is part of an established tradition. The best known is the ''Madonna dell'Umilita'', painted by

Guariento di Arpo Guariento di Arpo (13101370), sometimes incorrectly referred to as Guerriero, was a 14th-century painter whose career was centered in Padua. The painter is buried in the church of San Bernardino, Padua. Guariento's major commissions in Padua i ...

, which Lorenzo's painting closely resembles. In both paintings, the Madonna is posed on a cushion, seated in a demure fashion suggestive of humility. The blue of her apparel is in the tradition of the Madonna and, in the case of Lorenzo's painting, the clothing is notable for its simplicity, with the absence of any elaborate drapery that is sometimes depicted. Again, this style is suggestive of the humble nature of the seated figure.Burton B. Fredericksen and Federico Zeri. ''Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections.'' Cambridge, 1972, p. 148 Some years later Lorenzo painted a ''Madonna and Child'' with 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 ...

Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine, was, according to tradition, a Christian saint and Virginity, virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a ...

Anthony Abbot Charles Fulton Oursler Sr. (January 22, 1893 – May 24, 1952) was an American journalist, playwright, editor and writer. Writing as Anthony Abbot, he was an author of mysteries and detective fiction. His son was the journalist and author Wi ...

, and

St. Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya Province, Turkey) dur ...

at the Virgin's feet.Philadelphia Museum of Art. ''Paintings from Europe and the Americas in the Philadelphia Museum of Art: A Concise Catalogue.'' Philadelphia, 1994, repro p. 220 The work is executed in tempera and gold on a wood panel and its size is that of a typical anconetta, or small altarpiece. During the time of Lorenzo, this image would likely have been framed in a Gothic-style tabernacle as it would have served for private, rather than public, enjoyment.

, Lorenzo's grandson painted a similar work. Neri's Virgin and Child Enthroned with Two Angels and

St. Ansanus Saint Ansanus () (died 304 AD), called ''The Baptizer'' or ''The Apostle of Siena'', is the patron saint of Siena, a kinship, scion of the Anician family of Rome. Legend His legend states that he was born of a noble ancient Rome, Roman family ...

, St. Sebastian,

, 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 ...

currently resides at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is believed that Neri drew inspiration from his grandfather Lorenzo. A number of other Madonnas are attributed to Lorenzo, one of which is located at the

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum is a public art museum located in the Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded and opened in 1934, it holds collections from the mid-19th century that were amassed substantially ...

in Baltimore. The locations of the remaining paintings are unknown.

Major work

Perhaps Lorenzo's best-known work is a devotional triptych painted in 1399 that now hangs in the Museo della Collegiata di Sant'Andrea in Empoli. The Madonna is present in all three panels, although only in the center panel is she the dominant presence. The left wing depicts the Nativity and shows the Madonna kneeling in an attitude of prayer. A seated saint is in the foreground and the panel's upper section, which comes to a point, depicts a seated angel. The right panel displays the crucifixion and the Madonna is one of three figures beneath the crucifix. As in the left panel, she is clearly recognizable because of the consistency in the color of her garments and the simplicity of her figure. The pinnacle of the right panel showcases a seated female figure praying. In both side panels, Madonna's figure is on the same scale as the other figures, whereas in the center panel, she is not.R. Fremantle, ''Florentine Gothic Painters'', London 1975, p. 411, reproduced fig. 837. The central figure is nearly identical to the ''Madonna of Humility with Two Angels'', further suggesting that the earlier Madonna was indeed the work of Lorenzo. The Madonna in the center panel sits on a Gothic throne, adorned with a red and gold cloth. A Christ Child sits on her lap and grips her finger. Surrounding them are a group of six Saints, including both

and

. Lorenzo's artistic style is seen in the clean and simple compositional structure, the use of bright color, and the expressionless character of the figures' faces.

Influences

Lorenzo's style was influenced by Andrea di Cione di Arcangelo, who was an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect in Florence.M. Boskovits, ''Pittura Fiorentina alla vigilia del Rinascimento: 1370-1400'', Florence 1975, pp. 55 and 108. Lorenzo served as one of his pupils and worked alongside

, Andrea's younger brother and an Italian Gothic period painter active in Florence.

Death and legacy

It is now clear that many of the works that Vasari attributed to Lorenzo di Bicci were in fact produced by his son,

. Similarly,

Joseph Archer Crowe Sir Joseph Archer Crowe (25 October 1825, London – 6 September 1896, Gamburg an der Tauber, today Werbach, Germany) was an English journalist, consular official and art historian, whose volumes of the ''History of Painting in Italy'', ...

and Giovanni Battista Cavalcasele, two highly respected Italian art critics, attributed several frescoes to Lorenzo, including those in the

Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence Santa Maria del Carmine is a church of the Carmelite Order, in the Oltrarno district of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. It is famous as the location of the Brancacci Chapel housing outstanding Renaissance art, Renaissance frescoes by Masaccio an ...

, and those in San Francesco, Arezzo, that are now thought to be painted by

.Bruno Santi. "Lorenzo di Bicci." ''Grove Art Online''. ''Oxford Art Online''. Oxford University Press. Web. 20 Feb. 2017. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T051954 . Some confusion between the works of father and son is understandable, considering that Lorenzo personally trained his son in his workshop, one of the largest and most active studios in Florence at that time.

went on to become an influential painter and sculptor, much like his father, while Lorenzo's grandson,

, inherited the workshop following the death of Lorenzo di Bicci and

. Lorenzo is believed to have died in 1427, although the exact date of death is unknown.Stirton, Paul. "Bicci di Lorenzo." ''The Oxford Companion to Western Art''. ''Oxford Art Online''. Oxford University Press, accessed February 20, 2017, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t118/e276 . Lorenzo's workshop continued to flourish for over a century. Even now, art historians believe that many of his most significant works have yet to be identified.

Surviving art works

* ''Madonna of Humility with Two Angels'' (c. 1375-1380), Private Collection * ''St. Martin Enthroned'' (c. 1380), Depositi Galleria Arte, Florence * ''St. Julian and St. Zanobius'' (c. 1380-1400), Academia Gallery, Venice * ''St. Mark'' (c. 1398), Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence * ''The Crucifixion'' (c. 1399), Museo della Collegiata di Sant'Andrea, Empoli * ''Triptych'' (c. 1399), Museo della Collegiata di Sant'Andrea, Empoli * ''Madonna and Child'' (c. 1400), Walters Art Museum, Baltimore * ''Crucifixion'' (c. 1400), Allentown Art Museum, Pennsylvania * ''St. Francis and St. Anthony Abbot'' (c. 1400), Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol * ''Madonna and Child with Angels'' (c. 1405-1410), Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco * ''St. Nicholas'' (c. 1410), Accademia di Belle Arti, Florence

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bicci, Lorenzo di 1350s births 1427 deaths 14th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 15th-century Italian painters Gothic painters Painters from Florence