Giovan Pietro Rizzoli,
called Giampietrino (attr.)
Madonna
oil on panel, 34 x 28.5 cm
Private collection
This image with the bust of the Virgin Mary with a halo and the head covered by a drape that also protects her shoulders must be connected to the same sacred character present in a wider invention by Giampietrino depicting the Madonna nursing the Child with Saint Anne, dipinta parimenti su tavola ma di dimensioni più ampie (cm 64x51, già New York, Christie’s, 28 gennaio 2015, n. 128 e New York, Sotheby’s, 26 gennaio 2023, n. 117); le tinte dei panneggi sono tuttavia in parte differenti: nell’opera in esame il velo è marrone e l’abito rosso con mantello verde, nell’altro sono rispettivamente color crema e rosso, ma il manto è blu foderato in rosso), così come la definizione dei contorni, netti con tratti metallici nella tavola di minori dimensioni, più morbidi e sfumati nell’altra.
Difficile stabilire quale delle due opere sia stata dipinta prima: d’altra parte non è affatto agevole scansionare con sufficiente certezza la produzione di Giovan Pietro Rizzoli - ricordato anche come Pietro Rizzo, Pietro Riccio, Pietro Ricci, Gianpetro, Giampietrino, ecc. - la cui cronologia ha pochi appigli certi rispetto alla quantità e alla discontinuità delle opere ricondotte al suo catalogo.
Documented in Milan from the beginning of 1508, studies have not yet unanimously accepted the possibility of Rizzoli's direct training in Leonardo's workshop around the second half of the 1490s: relevant in this sense are some references by Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo who recalls a "Milanese Pietro Rizzo" in his Treaty of 1584 and related Boards Leonardo da Vinci's pupil says so; in Rhymes in imitation of the grotesque (1587) lo stesso Lomazzo inserisce “Pietro” con Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, Francesco Melzi e Giovanni Giacomo Caprotti assieme al loro maestro Leonardo. Il legame del Giampietrino con alcuni pittori leonardeschi viene ribadito in una notizia del 1511 in cui - con Giovanni Agostino da Lodi, Marco d’Oggiono, Boltraffio e Giovita da Caravaggio - venne nominato procuratore di un consorzio di pittori in cui Bramantino e Bernardo Zenale erano rispettivamente priore e tesoriere.
The fact remains that to highlight Giampietrino's close link with the artistic culture of Leonardo da Vinci there is undoubtedly his understanding of the nuanced. The stylistic detail shines through in many of his drawings and paintings, for example in the Madonna and Child with Saints Michael and Jerome of the church of San Marino in Pavia commissioned in 1521, his only known work documented with certainty in which there are also clear references to the painting of Cesare da Sesto. The latter's definitive return to Milan in 1519, after having worked for about a decade in Rome, Sicily and Campania, also opened up for Giampietrino the possibility of dealing with central Italian models, especially Raphael's, imported into Lombardy by his colleague.
The Madonna painted on this table it emerges from the dark background and is characterized by a tendentially warm colour; Maria's face evokes Leonardo's typologies, the eyes are turned downwards and the thin eyebrows, the light modeling of the nose and cheeks define the volumes with light gradations of light and shadow. These are recurring qualities in the many female figures painted by Giampietrino who, during his career, concentrated above all on sensual representations of divinities, saints and heroines of history and of the sacred scriptures: Sofonisba, Dido, Lucrezia, Maddalena and, obviously, the Virgin Mary, a pleasant production in which influences and descriptive data stand out also inspired by Flemish art, peculiarities also evident in this painting, mainly in the clear and bright golden definitions evident in the waving of the hair, in the halo and in the edge of the neckline of the dress.
Bibliografia:
C. Geddo, The Madonna of Castel Vitoni by Giampietrino, in «Academia Leonardi Vinci», ed. by C. Pedretti, Vol. VII, 1994, Florence, pp. 57 - 66.
C. Geddo, Leonardeschi between Lombardy and Europe: the 'Giampietrino' of Central Europe, in “Lombardia ed Europa. Incroci di Storia e Cultura”, ed. by D. Zardin, Milan, 2014, pp. 69 – 108.
Nicosetta Roio
This half-length portrait of Mary bears a striking resemblance to a similar figure depicted by Giampietrino in "The Madonna Nursing the Christ Child with Saint Anne" (measuring 64x51 cm) that was auctioned at Christie's on 28 January 2015 (lot number 128) and at Sotheby's on 26 January 2023 (lot number 117) in New York. Despite the resemblance, there are significant differences in the details that distinguish the two depictions of the Virgin. In the portrait, Mary is portrayed wearing a brown veil, a red dress, and a green cloak, whereas in the altar piece, she is shown with a creamy veil, a red dress, and a blue cloak. Furthermore, the lines used in the portrait exhibit a more rigid and defined quality, while the lines in the altar piece are softer and more nuanced. Determining the chronological order between the two works, the half-length portrait of Mary and "The Madonna Nursing the Christ Child with Saint Anne," poses a challenge for art historians. Giampietrino's attribution has always been a difficult task due to the various names he has been mentioned in historical documents, such as Pietro Rizzo, Pietro Riccio, Pietro Ricci, Gianpetro, and others. This lack of consistent identification has led to uncertainties in assigning artworks to him. While a few art pieces have been documented under his name, a considerable number of works have been attributed to Giampietrino, making the task of distinguishing his true creations a daunting one for art historians.
Although Giampietrino's presence in Milan has been documented since 1508, art historians have not reached a consensus regarding whether he received his education in Leonardo's workshop during the late 15th century. Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo, in his Treaty from 1584, mentions a "Pietro Rizzo milanese" listed as a student of Leonardo da Vinci in the related Boards. Furthermore, in his Rhymes in imitation of the grotesque from 1587, Lomazzo again associates a "Pietro" with Leonardo's students Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, Francesco Melzi, and Giovanni Giacomo Caprotti. The connection between Giampietrino and the painters who operated within Leonardo's close circle is substantiated by a document from 1511. In this document, Giampietrino, along with Giovanni Agostino da Lodi, Marco d'Oggiono, Boltraffio, and Giovita da Caravaggio, is mentioned as a legal representative of an artists' union. The union was overseen by Bramantino and Bernardo Zenale, who held the positions of prior and treasurer, respectively.
Indeed, it is undeniable that Giampietrino's profound understanding of sfumato indicates a close proximity to Leonardo's artistic style and cultural influence. This mastery of sfumato is evident in several of Giampietrino's artworks, such as "The Virgin and Child with Saints Michael and Jerome" located in the Church of San Marino in Pavia. This particular piece, commissioned in 1521, stands as the only documented work of Giampietrino where we can clearly discern the combined influences of Leonardo and Cesare da Sesto. After spending a decade working in Rome, Sicily, and Campania, Giampietrino returned to Milan in 1519. This period of travel and exposure to different artistic centres allowed him to encounter the styles of other masters, including the influential Raphael. Back in Milan, Giampietrino had the opportunity to reflect upon and incorporate the artistic influences he had encountered during his travels into his own work.
Bibliography:
C. Geddo, The Madonna of Castel Vitoni by Giampietrino, in «Academia Leonardi Vinci», ed. by C. Pedretti, Vol. VII, 1994, Florence, pp. 57 - 66.
C. Geddo, Leonardeschi between Lombardy and Europe: the 'Giampietrino' of Central Europe, in “Lombardia ed Europa. Incroci di Storia e Cultura”, ed. by D. Zardin, Milan, 2014, pp. 69 – 108.
Nicosetta Roio