Giovanni dal Ponte

Giovanni dal Ponte established rapport as an artist by creating marriage chests, Cassone or forzieri, for Illarione dei Bardi in 1422.

Following the positive reception of his work for Illarione, dal Ponte was commissioned by Giovannozo and Paolo Biliotti in 1427 and Bardo di Francesco de' Bardi in 1430 to create similar pieces.

[3] While he was best known for these marriage chests, he also painted candlesticks and banners, or drappelloni, and domestic tabernacles, cassoni or colmi, and in fact is noted as an outstanding talent in the latter form.

Dal Ponte designed several Triptychs in 1434; the two most famous are his two versions of the Annunciation, created in 1430 and 1435, which are located at Santa Maria in Rosano and the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Rome, respectively.

The structure of their arrangement parallels that of Bicci di Lorenzo and Stefano d'Antonio, in the sense that the greater painters received a much higher rate of compensation than their assistants.

[3] Their workshop was adept at many forms of craft, including the creation of Giovanni's reputation-making marriage chests as well as banners, though it appears that at the beginning, the shop was best known for its cassoni.

It was staffed by many artisans employed on a temporary basis, which allowed the workshop flexibility as its ornamental chest business accelerated toward the end of the 1420s.

[3] Smeraldo provided a significant contribution to the workshop's success when he obtained the commission to fresco the Cappella d'Abbaco at Santa Trinita (c. 1432).

During these endeavors, Giovanni was no longer considered the sole master of the workshop, as each artist abandoned personal projects to join together on the frescoes.

In 1422, dal Ponte received 45 fiorini for forzieri for Illarione dei Bardi to commemorate his niece Costanza's wedding to Bartolomeo d'Ugo degli Alessandro.

The arts, Astronomy, Geometry, Arithmetic, Music, Rhetoric, Dialectic and Grammar, are accompanied by their Greek epitomes, Archimedes, Pythagoras, Tubal Cain, Cicero, Aristotle, and Donatus.

While the minor masters simply were never commissioned to paint the high altarpieces of Florentine churches, their craftsmanship was revered in the contado, where they were sought after.