- Original name:
- Antonio Pisano
- Born:
- c. 1395, Pisa [Italy]
- Died:
- 1455
- Movement / Style:
- International Gothic
Il Pisanello
-
Who was Il Pisanello?
Il Pisanello (c. 1395–1455) was an Italian painter and medalist, known as a major figure in the International Gothic style. Erroneously called Vittore by Giorgio Vasari, his first name was verified as Antonio in 1907.
Pisanello's fame stemmed more from his medals, which were inspired by ancient Greek and Roman numismatic portraits, than from his paintings. His medals include portraits of John VIII Palaeologus, Lionello d’Este, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, and Alfonso of Aragon. Pisanello is credited with inventing the modern commemorative medal. His medals presented a portable portrait relief of the sitters and were reproducible by casting in lead or bronze.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What time period did Il Pisanello live and work in?
Il Pisanello, an Italian painter and medalist, lived and worked during the early to mid-15th century. Born around 1395, he died in 1455. He was a major figure in the International Gothic style, and is credited with inventing the modern commemorative medal. His medal of the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaeologus, created in 1438–39, is regarded as the first of its kind.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What types of art was Il Pisanello known for creating?
Il Pisanello, an Italian artist of the 15th century, was known for his contributions to painting and medal making, and is considered a major exponent of the International Gothic style.
Pisanello's fame stemmed from his portrait medals, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman coins. His medals featured a portrait on one side and an allegorical scene on the other, a style that has been sustained through the present day. Examples of his medallic art include the medal of the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaeologus (1438), the wedding medal of Lionello d’Este (1444), and the medal of Alfonso of Aragon (1448).
His paintings, like the frescoes at the tomb of Niccolò di Brenzoni and the Pellegrini Chapel, display the curvilinear design and decorative detail of the International Gothic style. Preserved in the Codex Vallardi, Pisanello's drawings showcase his draftsmanship and techniques, using various materials to produce studies of animals, plants, costumes, and perspective.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Il Pisanello important in the history of painting and medals?
Il Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) holds a vital place in art history as a painter and medalist of the Italian Renaissance. He is considered the inventor of the modern commemorative medal.
Pisanello's importance stems from:
* Medal Innovation He created the prototype for the modern commemorative medal, establishing the standard of a portable portrait relief with a profile on the obverse and an allegorical scene on the reverse.
* Artistic Style As a major exponent of the International Gothic style, his paintings and drawings display curvilinear design, decorative detail, and naturalism.
* Drawing Techniques Pisanello was among the first 15th-century artists to draw from life, capturing animals, plants, and costumes with sensitivity.
* Influence His medals became highly sought after in court circles, and his work influenced subsequent medal makers in Italy and beyond.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some famous works created by Il Pisanello?
Il Pisanello, an Italian painter and medalist of the International Gothic style, is known for a few famous works. His surviving frescoes include the Annunciation at the tomb of Niccolò di Brenzoni in San Fermo, Verona, and the legend of St. George in the Pellegrini Chapel in San Anastasia, Verona.
Pisanello's fame rests more upon his medals, which were influenced by ancient Greek and Roman numismatic portraits. His medal work includes the medal of the Greek emperor John VIII Palaeologus (1438), the wedding medal of Lionello d’Este (1444), Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1445), and the medal of Alfonso of Aragon (1448). He also drew from life, with drawings of horses being particularly well known.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Il Pisanello's work influence other artists of the Renaissance?
Il Pisanello, an Italian painter and medalist, significantly impacted Renaissance artists through his innovative approach to portraiture and drawing.
Pisanello's medals, which featured profile portraits backed by allegorical scenes, provided a portable and reproducible form of portraiture, influencing the style and content of commemorative art. His detailed drawings of animals, plants, and costumes, drawn directly from life, combined Early Renaissance naturalism with Late Gothic beauty, marking a departure from medieval traditions and setting a new standard for draftsmanship.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Il Pisanello (born c. 1395, Pisa [Italy]—died 1455) was an Italian medalist and painter, a major exponent of the International Gothic style. His early work suggests that he was the pupil of Stefano da Zevio, a Veronese artist. (He was wrongly called Vittore by Giorgio Vasari, and only in 1907 was his personal name verified as Antonio.)
Pisanello collaborated with Gentile da Fabriano on frescoes in the Doges’ Palace in Venice (c. 1415–22) and in St. John Lateran in Rome (after 1427). After Gentile’s death, Pisanello probably completed the Roman frescoes, known only through drawings, which show Gentile’s great influence over the young Pisanello. Until 1969, when layers of plaster were removed from the walls of the Sala del Pisanello in Mantua’s Palazzo Ducale to reveal a series of Pisanello’s frescoes depicting scenes of war and chivalry, his only surviving frescoes were thought to have been an Annunciation at the tomb of Niccolò di Brenzoni in San Fermo in Verona (c. 1423–24) and the legend of St. George in the Pellegrini Chapel in San Anastasia, Verona (c. 1433–38). These works are characterized by the curvilinear design, calligraphic draperies, and decorative detail typical of the International Gothic style from which Pisanello never completely freed himself. Even a mature work such as his St. Eustace is encrusted with rich detail that tends to work against spatial clarity. The Madonna with SS. Anthony and George displays a simpler conception. It is dominated by the monumental figures of the two saints and the bust of the Virgin in a mandorla, or almond-shaped aureole.
Pisanello’s fame and his importance in court circles rested more upon his medals than upon his painting. They are thought to have resulted from his study of ancient Greek and Roman numismatic portraits. He had virtually no recent predecessors, and, with him, the art reached its highest point. His work includes the medal of the Greek emperor John VIII Palaeologus (1438), the wedding medal of Lionello d’Este (1444), Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1445), and the medal of Alfonso of Aragon (1448), generally cited as his most successful work in the genre. Most of Pisanello’s painted portraits, such as the Margherita Gonzaga (c. 1438), and Lionello d’Este (c. 1440), show the sitter in profile (a convention of Pisanello’s portrait medals) against a background of delicate, colourful flowers and butterflies.
Pisanello’s drawings have been preserved in the Codex Vallardi. This is the only instance in which the drawings of a 15th-century workshop have been preserved virtually intact. They are of unique value, therefore, for the study of the style and techniques of draftsmanship of the period. Pisanello uses a large variety of techniques and materials to produce masterful drawings (some coloured) of animals, plants, costume design, and perspective studies. His drawings of various views of horses are particularly well known. He was one of the first 15th-century artists to draw from life instead of adhering to the medieval tradition of copying the drawings of others. The drawings reveal Pisanello’s breadth of interest and his sensitive eye. They combine delicately rendered Early Renaissance naturalism with the beauty of Late Gothic line and are one of his most important contributions to the history of art.