Belbello da Pavia

The following year, after an unsuccessful attempt at appealing the Marchioness's decision,[2] Belbello moved to Venice where he lived until his death.

[3] During his time there, Belbello eventually faced burning at the stake and was forced to flee due to a moral misdemeanor he was accused of in 1450.

In 1461 Belbello was stripped of his task of working on the Missal by Barbara of Brandenburg, Marchioness of Mantua, in favor of a younger artist, Girolamo da Cremona.

His newer works offer a glimpse into the internal struggle of Belbello as he grappled with his old age and the changing taste of the public.

[1] Belbello remained unrecognized until the early twentieth century when Pietro Toesca attributed the style of the miniatures in the d'Este Bible to the illustrations found in the 2nd half of the Visconti Hours.

[1] Using letters from the Gonzaga family concerning the artist responsible for part of the illustrations in a Missal, Toesca was able to identify the Belbello mentioned in the correspondence.

Mirella Levi D'Ancona, author of The Wildenstein Collection of Illuminations: The Lombard School, reasons that this conflict in style was due to a difference in their dates of production.

The details in question are the inclusion of clouds surrounding Filippo's bust as rays of light radiate outward, glorification that would be inappropriate if the Duke had still been living when it began.

[1] A "Master of Murano" was identified in an essay by Serena Padovani, in which she argues that this miniaturist was a major influence on a specific fresco-artist who had worked on the Chapel of the Rocca of Vignola, a small agricultural center south of Modena.

This building featured frescoes that are dated stylistically to about 1425 and was an object of interest due to the artist's anonymity and apparent influence from this miniaturist.

The connection was formed due to sharply cut drapery folds predominantly featured in the miniaturist's work which was also found on the frescoes.

This Master was then identified as Belbello himself in a response to the essay by Miklos Boskovits in the catalog of the exhibition "Arte in Lombardia fra gotico e rinascimento".

The work had been started in 1390 by Giovannino de Grassi and his son Salomone after it was commissioned by the Duke of Milan, Giangaleazzo Visconti, but had been interrupted twice.

[1] This is mentioned in commentary located earlier in the miniatures where Belbello states his desire to mimic dei Grassi's style.

According to art historian Millard Meiss, author of The Visconti Hours, some of these differences are thought to be due to the work of assistants in completing illustrations for Belbello.

Belbello then worked on a Breviary on behalf of Marie of Savoy, Duchess of Milan (1432) and the Bible Estense (1434), the latter highlighting an original expressionism and a narrative sequence.

The works of his artistic maturity, however, include a Gradual, commissioned by Cardinal Bessarion and a Roman Missal for the Mantua Cathedral, in which his forms assumed greater fullness with effects that closely resembled Baroque tendencies.

In the miniatures of the Bible for Niccolò d'Este (1431-1434) Belbello painted imposing figures, flowing lines, and excessive gestures with bright colors.

St. Peter is placed in the middle of the scene, an allusion to his central position in the Christian church, while St. John's youth and the Book of Revelation he holds both serve as indicators of his identity.

An educated Abbot of S. Michele created a catalogue of the library during the late 18th century, but it lacked the choir book's inclusion due to their use in church.

This identification is not fully accepted by scholars because of uncertainty that what he holds is actually a dagger, and his depiction does not follow the tradition of showing him as a young man.

The initial S is a blue with pink and brown palmettes, while the background and roundels suggest that this piece was made alongside another illustration, St.

The sword in his left hand is his identifying emblem, and his history involves a time when he was a fierce opponent of the Christian faith as a Roman officer.

[1] St. Stephen- Initial E The stones on top of his head and shoulders serve as the identifier for St. Stephen, as it was the weapon of his martyrdom, as well as the figure's youth and his clothing.

This is a style that was heavily used by Niccolo di Giacomo da Bologna, and it was originally imported from France in the early 14th century.

The plethora of warrior saints in Christianity, such as St. George, St. Liberale, St. Maurice, St. Theodore, etc., make it hard to identify whom the figure is meant to represent.

It also worth noting that St. George is the patron saint of the Monastery of S. Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, the place where Belbello worked during his later life.

The figure holds an open book in her hands and also has a sword lodged within her chest, with the palm of martyrdom bearing some fruit that is likely dates.

She wears a green dress and a pink mantel with gold stars and embroideries, and has a golden crown decorated with various precious stones on top of her head.

The youth wears a green garment and has brown hair, both of the figures have striking white in their eyes that is compelling against the color of their skin.