Bramantino (Bartolomeo Suardi, known as Bramantino)
Milan, c. 1465-1530
Bramantino first worked as a goldsmith, turning to painting later in his career. His work shows the influence of young artists such as Butinone and Zenale although the decisive meeting for the young artist was that with Bramante who most influenced his work and who was the reason for Bramantino's nickname. His first known works have been dated to around 1490, and there is no proof of any activity as a painter prior to that date. From this period is the Risen Christ in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, a Virgin with Child in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and The Adoration of the Magi in the National Gallery, London. In these early works Bramantino made use of a theatrical type of lighting, using a very linear and wiry draughtsmanship to create the forms. In 1508 he was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint some now lost frescoes in a room in the Vatican. The following year, he returned to Milan where he worked on a series of commissions. In 1525 Bramantino was appointed architect and ducal painter to Francisco Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan. His late paintings were mainly religious subjects. Among his works are a Crucifixion in the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, and a Virgin and Child surrounded by Saints in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. His surviving architectural work is the Trivulzi funerary chapel in San Nazzaro, Milan. Bramantino's style was a complex and eclectic one and he is considered one of the most important artists of his time, although he had scarcely any noticeable influence on the art of his contemporaries.
MULAZZANI, G.: L'opera completa di Bramantino e Bramante pittore. Milan, 1978.
SUIDA, W.: Bramante pittore e Il Bramantino. Milan, 1953.
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