Giovanni Canavesio edit

Giovanni Canavesio (before1450–1500) was an Italian painter born in Pinerolo, Piedmont, Italy. He was proficient in polyptyches or panels, monumental paintings, book illuminations[1] and sculptures[2]. He was registered in Pinerolo as a "master artist" in 1450[3] but his earlier works are unknown.Later, he confined his works in a southern part known as western Liguria and "entroterra nizzardo", with exception of Virle and Saint-Etienne-de-Tinee.

 
Der gehängte Judas Giovanni Canavesio's work on depicting hanging Judas,1491

Career edit

The earliest document about Canavesio only dates back to the 1450 from Piedmontese town in Pinerolo, where he was registered as a "Master Artist"[3]. However, there are still doubts about when Canavesio started his career[4].Between the documentation in 1450 and his first documented work in 1472, Canavesio became a priest.[5] In almost all of the documents and signed works, Canavesio is referred to as a "presbiter", a priest; and in the Saint-Etienne-de-Tinee is referred to as "capallanus", a chaplain.[6]As a painter, his main patrons were the Dominicans of Taggia. He got opportunities to complete wall paints and a polytych in their houses which back then was a major art center. In the region of Albenga, Luceram, La Brigue, Pigna, and Pornassio, he executed wall paintings and polytychs for chapter houses and refectories. Due to the speciality of paintings, he developed a seasonal schedule: Panel painting in winter, wall paintings in warm months, with exception of wall paintings of Virle due to limited size and Crucifixion in Taggia for its mild and stable climate. In the chapel of Saint-Sebastien, it records the collaboration of Canavesio and Giovanni Baleison[7] whose signature appears with Canavesio under the painting.[1] They divided the decoration in parts and each take their own responsibility.[1]

Works edit

Giovanni Canavesio signed his work in different orthographic names: Johannis, Johanes, de Canavexiis, Canavexi, Canavesis, or Canavesius. The translations are Giovanni Canavesio, Jean Canavesi in French studies.[5] He often executed more than one commission per site. He based his work in the pictorial culture of western Piedmont[8], and later in his work showed a combination of south Netherlandish elements and features from the schools of the Nice region and Provence that can be seen from the bright colors enhanced by strong lighting and the expressionistic traits derived from the figure style of north Piedmont.[3] Canavesio painted with pathetic and violent expression, often depicting painful, jerky gestures and movements[9], with cruel and horrific realism[10] at times. He developed such style from the influence of Giacomo Jaquerio, the pioneer of an independent Piedmontese school[11], and shared his expressive beliefs to further consolidate his own conviction in art.[12] A Germanic component of Canavesio's style suggests his learning in Schongauer's workshop or from artists in Colmar region.[13] The progressive softening of Piedmontese elements of his painting style also reflects a growing influence of Provençal and Niçois. His Works created in the last few years of his career shows that he was further influenced by Lombard influences and became closer to Ligurian art.[14]

Since Canavesio's work can go so wild that he emphasized on expression, perspective, anatomy, and puerility can be demolished.[15]However, it is not Canavesio was a minor and incapable artist, as shown from his tender treatment on depicting the Virgin Mary[16], but he used conscious and voluntary deformations to stress his desire and ability appealing to the public.[17]

Notre-Dame des Fontaines edit

Canavesio started to work on eleven scenes of the life of the Virgin and the infancy of Christ: the Nativity of the Virgin, her Presentation in the Temple, her Marriage, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Christ, his Circumcision, the Adoration of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Flight into Egypt, and the Presentation in the Temple. In 1950s, paintings of the choir were discovered under a layer of whitewash, and was attributed to the collaboration of Jean Baleison who occasionally worked with Canavesio.[18] The inscription of the paintings on the north wall documented Canavesio's craft and completion in October 1492 but was fallen and covered by a new one that indicated Canavesio's involvement.However, it did not articulate that all the paintings were done by Canavesio, not mentioning workshops or collaborations but the general conception of the Passion Cycle would be done by Canavesio himself.[5] The scene depicting Marian in the paintings of the triumphal arch would at least be his collaboration with other artist.[19] The painting of the nave follows the tradition of Italian Renaissance practices,[20] with Canavesio utilized gold and tinfoil which now turned black due to oxidation and was restored around 1849.

Documented activities edit

1472, he received commission in Ligurian town of Albenga to paint a Maestà(now lost) for the church of Oristano in Sardinia, after which he became active in western Liguria and the region of Nice[3] and all documents and inscriptions on work since then bear his title presbiter[21].

1477, he did a heraldic painting on the facade of Palazzo Vescovile. This is his first dated and existing work without his signature but unanimously attributed to him.

1482 April , he painted a Crucifixion in the chapter house of Dominican convent in Taggia, but the work is also not signed yet attributed to him with no doubt.[5]

1482 October , he finished his first surviving Passion cycle in fresco at San Bernardo in Pigna.

1487 June 3, he signed and date a painting(now lost) in the parish church of Virle, not far from Pinerolo.

1491 March 3, he finished an altarpieve for the pilgrimage chapel of Notre-Dame des Fontaines at La Brigue.

1492 October 12, he did several paintings for this pilgrimage chapel and finished its decoration.

1499 March 20, he completed a polyptych for Pornassio, which is now in the parchish church of Berderio Superiore.[22]

1500 January, he finished the polyptych dedicated to St.Michael in the parish church of Pigna.

Reference edit

  1. ^ a b c Floriani, De (1991). La pittura in Liguria. ISBN 9788886017015.
  2. ^ Romano. Canavesio. p. 730.
  3. ^ a b c d Terminiello, Giovanna. "Canavesio, Giovanni". Grove Art Online.
  4. ^ Romano, Giovanni (1994). Tra la Francia e l'Italia. p. 188.
  5. ^ a b c d Plesch, Véronique (2006). Painter and Priest. Notre Dame, Indiana 46446: University of Notre Dame. pp. I. ISBN 0-268-03888-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. ^ Visentin. Certezze e dubbi. p. 14.
  7. ^ Terminiello, Rotondi. "Baleison Giovanni". Grove Art Online.
  8. ^ Benezit. Dictionnaire des peintres.
  9. ^ Roques. Les apports néerlandais. p. 199.
  10. ^ Jean. Le sanctuaire. p. 24.
  11. ^ Weber, Siegfried. Die begründer. pp. 18–19.
  12. ^ Griseri. Faquerio. p. 98.
  13. ^ M. Fulcheri. Giovanni Canavesio. pp. 39–44.
  14. ^ Romano. Canavesio. p. 729.
  15. ^ Bertea, Ernesto (1984). Pitture e pittori del Pinerolese. Forni. p. 58. ISBN 9788827124437.
  16. ^ Jean. Le sanctuaire. p. 26.
  17. ^ Roques, Marguerite. Les peintures murales. p. 1961.
  18. ^ Thevenon, Luc (1983). L'art du moyen-age. p. 26. ISBN 978-2864100478.
  19. ^ Floriani, De. La pittura in Liguria. p. 342.
  20. ^ Stefanaggi, Marcel and Callede, Bernard(1974), Report 95B
  21. ^ Hood, William. Fra Angelico at San Marco. p. 9.
  22. ^ Parente, Elisabetta. Il polittico con la Madonna e santi di Giovanni Canavesio.

Article evaluation edit

  1. Francesco Melzi
  • Melzi Italian painter, born of nobility in Lombardy
  • apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci but social responsibility from family get larger, almost discontinue studying.
  • the first person collecting Da Vinci's notes, creating the Codex Urbinas
  • unable to shine because of their master though capable