The main artistic movements in chronological order
Biographies of some of the greatest representatives of Italian art
Some of the most beautiful and representative monuments and works of Italian art
Vincenzo Foppa was born in Brescia between 1427 and 1430 and was Lombardy’s greatest XV century painter. Little is known about his training but his early works (Madonna of Humility, the three crucifixes) show>
he was at least acquainted with the artistic trends of Padua and Veneto (the architecture in the Three crucifixes is reminiscent of Mantegna’s style).
He executed many paintings in Milan, Genoa and Pavia but none have survived to the present day.
In 1468 he painted the frescos in the Portinari chapel in the church of Sant' Eustorgio in Milan. He had clearly learnt how to use the Padua Renaissance painting techniques because the holy scenes and Life of St Peter the Apostle are painted from different perspectives.
In 1475, in the Averoldi chapel in the Chiesa del Carmine (Brescia), he painted the frescos with the Apostles and in 1476 he painted the Polyptich of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Bergamo.
His painting style was then influenced by Leonardo da Vinci who was in Milan at the time. The influence can clearly be seen in works like St Sebastian, Madonna among saints, in the Bottigella Altarpiece and in St Francis and the Stigmatas.
One the last picture he painted before he died was the Annunciation and the Orzinuovi coat of arms.
The artist died in about 1515-1516.
