Andrea Mantegna
c. 1431–1506 · Renaissance & Mannerism
Biography
Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431–1506), from Padua, was court painter to the Gonzaga family in Mantua. Passionate about ancient Rome, he was a master of perspective and sculptural form.
From the artist’s life
Around 1441, at only ten years old, Andrea Mantegna arrived as an apprentice and adopted son at the Padua workshop of the painter and sculptor Francesco Squarcione (1397–1468). Although not one of the great artists, Squarcione had an extremely strong influence on the precocious young talent; the master’s two surviving works show similarities with Mantegna’s style and his boundless interest in antiquity. Squarcione and Mantegna were apparently both difficult characters, and their dispute, which ended in litigation, put an end to the apprenticeship and the father–son relationship stemming from the adoption.
From the page of The Crucifixion
