Pietro Cavallini

Pietro Cavallini(1259 – c. 1330) was an Italian painter andmosaicdesigner working during the lateMiddle Ages.

TheAnnunciation,Santa Maria in Trastevere

Biography

Little is known about his biography, though it is known he was fromRome,since he signedpictor romanus.

His first notable works were the fresco cycles for theBasilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura,with stories from theNewandOld Testament(1277–1285). They were destroyed by the fire of 1823.

HisLast Judgmentin the Church ofSanta Cecilia in Trasteverein Rome, painted c. 1293 and considered Cavallini's masterwork, demonstrates an artistic style known asRoman naturalism.This naturalism influenced the work of artists working in other Italian cities such asFlorenceandSiena.

In theSienese school,the influence of classical Roman forms combined with theByzantineartistic heritage of the region and with northernGothicinfluences to form a naturalized painting style that was one of the origins ofInternational Gothic.

In Florence, the influence of classical Roman forms combined with the Byzantine artistic heritage of the region to spark an interest in volumetric, naturalistic paintings and statuary. This work is in stark contrast to the comparatively flat and ornamented Gothic, International Gothic, and Byzantine styles.

This naturalism is also evident in theBasilica of San Francesco d'AssisiinAssisi,built in the early years of the 13th century in honour of the newly canonizedSt. Francis.As the shrine was commissioned by the Roman church, its interior is painted in the Roman tradition. The identities of the artists at work in this church are for the most part not known but at least one team of artists came from Rome. Owing to the similarity of the work in San Francesco to that of Florentine artistGiotto,he was traditionally credited with some of thefrescoes,although most scholars no longer believe he was involved.

Giotto's work in theArena Chapel(also known as the Scrovegni Chapel) atPaduastrongly shows the influence of stylized Roman naturalism in a newly individualized style which would come to characterize the work of Florentine Renaissance artists.

From 1308 Cavallini worked inNaplesat the court of KingCharles II of Anjou,notably in the churches ofSan Domenico Maggiore(1308) andSanta Maria Donnaregina(1317), together with his fellow RomanFilippo Rusuti.He returned to Rome before 1325, beginning the external decoration of theBasilica di San Paolo fuori le Murain 1321, with a series of Byzantine-style mosaics.

Cavallini's pupils includedGiovanni di Bartolommeo.

Works

His works include:

• Jael and Tisseran(date unknown), watercolour
• Scenes from the life of Mary(c. 1298), mosaics at the apse ofBasilica di Santa Maria in Trasteverein Rome.The six scenes were made by the order of Bertoldo Stefaneschi, brother of CardinalGiacomo Gaetani Stefaneschi,and include adonor portraitof him. These mosaics are praised for their realistic portrayal and attempts at perspective:
  • Nativity of the Virgin
  • Annunciation
  • The Birth of Jesus
  • Adoration of the Magi
  • Presentation in the Temple
  • Dormition
• The Last Judgment(1295–1298), part of fresco cycle atSanta Cecilia in Trasteverein Rome.

The apse paintings atSan Giorgio al Velabro,Rome, have been attributed to him on the basis of stylistic similarity to the Trastevere paintings.

The apse mosaic of theSan Crisogonochurch in theTrasteveredistrict, depicting theMary with Sts. Sebastian and Chrysogonos,is also attributed to Cavallini.

The illustratedClement Biblehas been attributed to Cavallini or his workshop.

Sources

• Enio Sindona, Pietro Cavallini, editorial Italian Institute, Milan 1958.
• Guglielmo Matthiae, Pietro Cavallini, De Luca, Rome 1972.
• Paul Hetherington, Pietro Cavallini: a study in the art of Late Medieval Rome, The Sagittarius Press, London 1979.ISBN978-0-9503163-3-8
• Angiola Maria Romanini, The Eyes of Isaac. Classicism and scientific curiosity between Giotto and Arnolfo di Cambio, in "Medieval art", ns, I (1987).
• Emma Simi Varanelli, From Isaac Master in Giotto. Contribution to the history of medieval perspectiva communis, in "Medieval Art", ns III (1989), p. 115-143.
• Serena Romano, Eclipse in Rome: mural painting in Rome and Lazio by Boniface VIII to Martin V (1295-1431), Argos, Rome 1992.ISBN8885897142
• Alessandro Parronchi, Cavallini disciple of Giotto, Florence 1994.ISBN8885977154
• Pierluigi De Vecchi and Elda Cerchiari, The Times of art, Volume 1 Simon and Schuster, Milano 1999
• Alessandro Tomei, Pietro Cavallini, Silvana, Cinisello Balsamo 2000.ISBN8882151654
• Bruno Zanardi, Giotto and Pietro Cavallini: the question of Assisi and the medieval construction of fresco painting, Skira, Milan 2002.ISBN8884910560
• Roman paintings of Giotto and Cavallini, catalogue of the exhibition held in Rome in 2004 by Thomas Angelo and Strinati Tartuferi, Electa, Milano 2004.ISBN8837030622

External links

• Pietro Cavallini's The Last Judgement,Smarthistory