Defendente Ferrari

His work marks the transition from late Gothic traditions to Renaissance art in the region.

Here he trained and initially worked in the workshop of Giovanni Martino Spanzotti.

Spanzotti had been the pre-eminent painter in western Piedmont after moving to Chivasso c. 1502.

[1] Defendente achieved considerable success as a painter of polyptychs and altarpieces.

[2] His work developed away from its initial harsh style following Gothic traditions towards the use of more fluid brushstrokes and the creation of soft, dense highlights more in line with Renaissance painting.