Francesco di Antonio del Chierico
Francesco di Antonio del Chierico (1433–1484) was a manuscript illuminator of the early Renaissance period in Florence.
He is most recognized for his work on the Disputationes Camaldulenses by Cristoforo Landino and in that manuscript, particularly the two profiles of Federico da Montefeltro and an unidentified figure.
For example, in Book of Hours of Lorenzo the Magnificent and Clarice Orsini he incorporates astrological symbols that correspond with each member of their family into his designs.
[2] Putti are commonly shown in Renaissance art; they are depictions of small naked children or, more typically, cherubs.
Francesco's boldness and creativeness is exemplified by the numerous putti, candelabras, and the use of a rare sketch watercolor technique.
Francesco was also recorded to have been enrolled in the Compagnia di San Paolo in Florence which was one of the minor guilds for doctors and apothecaries.
Antonio del Pollaiuolo was renowned for his skill in depicting the human figure and was one of the first artists to practice anatomical dissection.
[3] Pollaiuolo's style has been described as pure and sober, except for his female faces which are comparable to bright elegance of the madonnas created by Baldovinetti.
[2] The books Francesco illustrated ranged in all sizes and covered varied literary, scientific, historical, and religious topics.
[5] Francesco's work for Matthias Cornvinus was displayed in Biblioteca Corviniana, the first great humanist library that was not located in Italy.
In 1456, Francesco created his first piece for the Petrarch manuscript which was documented in the guild Compagnia di San Paolo.
In 1463, in collaboration with Zanobi Strozzi, he helped illuminate a choir-book for Cathedral of Florence, now in the Laurentian Library (Nos.
Strozzi famously created the Madonna and Child with Four Angels today located in the Museum of San Marco in Florence.
The collaboration with Francesco took eleven years and took the help of an entire workshop which included Cosimo Rosselli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Attavante Attavanti and the Master of the Hamilton Xenophon.
The work is divided into 10 volumes and 37 books which cover everything the ancient Roman knew about natural sciences.
Luisa Vertova, a contributor to The Robert Lehman Collection, V. Italian 15th to 17th Century Drawings, and Annarosa Garzelli have contradicting opinions on who illustrated the portrait of Federico da Montefeltro in the copy of the Disputationes camaldulenses (Camaldolese Disputations) (Urb.
[8] Francesco illuminated parts of the manuscript including an image of Landino and the Glory of Christ, yet there is speculation as to if he is the true artist to a portrait of two men.
[6] A miniature portrait of Federico da Montefeltro has him depicted on the left holding a book while looking at the man on the right, either the illuminator, Francesco, or the author, Cristoforo Landino.
Francesco di Giorgio Martini was of the same time period from Siena and was an accomplished architect, painter, sculptor, and military engineer.
[6] Although there is controversy on the particular work, the majority of sources site Francesco di Antonio del Chierico as the artist.
Many works help prove that ideas between artists were circulating from Naples to Florence and vice versa, often along with sketches.
