Thread by @RobertBohan

Thread: Domenico Ghirlandaio (1448-1494) died on this day. He was one of the greatest Renaissance artists who was a master of fresco painting & integrated Flemish art into Italian. His work deserves greater recognition & he is one of my favourite painters

Born in Florence, he was the son of a silk dealer & goldsmith. His surname, Ghirlandaio translates as garland & refers to his father’s craft. He was apprenticed to Baldovinetti & Verrocchio & was a longtime friend of his fellow students Botticelli & Perugino. Frescoes (1471)

Ghirlandaio was recognised for his frescos (as much of his work is in situ his fame outside of Italy has suffered for its lack of portability). An early commission was in the 1477-8 - the Chapel of S Fina in San Gimignano (featured in the film Tea with Mussolini)

One of Ghirlandaio’s biggest Italian influences was his master Verrocchio as can be seen in the Madonna & Child. St Barbara (1473), Madonna & Child (c1475), Last Supper (1476) & Portrait (1477-8)

One of his most famous works is the old man & his tender regard for his ?grandson. Adoration of the Magi (1479), Old Man & Boy (1480s), Last Supper (1480)

He worked with Botticelli in 1480, each creating an image in the Church of Ognissanti. His was S Jerome. The influence of Botticelli’s lighting & commitment to drawing form is most apparent in this picture.

Between 1481-5 he was working on frescoes at the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. For many, these beautiful & elegant works are absorbed into their subconscious as they visit the Palazzo & take in the work of Verrocchio & Michelangelo.

Ghirlandaio was called to Rome by the Pope in 1481. He worked on scenes from the Testaments in the Sistine Chapel. Many do not realise that the work of other great artists is visible in the chapel. Michelangelo draws every eye heavenwards & away.

From 1482-5 he worked in the Sassetti Chapel of S Trinita. His Adoration of the Shepherds was a magnificent integration of Italian Renaissance learning & Flemish art. The shepherds, in particular, are a highlight of Renaissance art.

Details of frescoes from S Trinita. A constant aspect of Ghirlandaio’s art is the appearance of dynasties - after all the work might be religious but the commissioning was propagandistic & at times designed to intimidate with power.

The great pleasure of a Ghirlandaio fresco is that there is so much to take in. Each character has their own story to tell & the mind soon takes flight trying to arrive at what they are thinking. Further details of the S Trinita frescoes.

One of the significant moments of the Renaissance was when Hugo van der Goes’ Portinari Altarpiece arrived in Florence (1483) from the Low Countries. His realism & naturalism was studied by Ghirlandaio & integrated into his art. It’s pictured below

Madonna & Child Enthroned (1483). Such paintings were the set pieces for altars & Ghirlandaio was one of their finest creators. They have a magnificent regal presence.

Between 1485-90 he painted the Tournabuoni Chapel frescoes. The church glows with the sparkling jewel-like colours of his work. He was a master of harmony both in colour & composition.

He painted both men & women with a graceful & charismatic presence - but it is his pictures of children that one finds oneself seeking out. More fresco details from S Maria Novella (1486-90)

His Birth of St John the Baptist is one of his most beautiful frescoes in the Basilica of S Maria Novella (1486-90)

Coronation of the Virgin (1486 & 1486) & Elderly Woman (1486-90)

Madonna & Child Enthroned (1486). Another of Ghirlandaio’s monumental groups of saints. The colours sing out with dramatic delight.

Marriage of Mary, S Maria Novella (1486-90). Frescoes must be painted quickly in patches as the plaster dries & are one of the most challenging art forms - he was the master.

Study (1486). Having been trained in the Florentine tradition, Ghirlandaio was a gifted draughtsman. Here are a group of his studies.

The Visitation (1486-90) is one of his most lyrical works. The many women portrayed are exquisite in their beauty. They were members of the family that commissioned the work.

Adoration of the Magi (1487 & 1488) - he returned to the Adoration several times. It was a subject close to his heart as his Sassetti Chapel version had made his name. It’s instructive to see the development of his art through the subject.

Ghirlandaio created some of the most charismatic portraits of his time (1488-90). These images are courtly refined portraits of the wealthy & the aristocratic younger generation who would grow up within the social customs of the Middle Ages & the new learning of the Renaissance

The art of Ghirlandaio is to be found in the ancient Italian cities. A mere handful of works is found abroad. Here is his self-portrait. I recommend travelling &, if not possible, this monograph by Cadogan.

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