Dr. Erdősi Péter - Dr. Mazányi Judit szerk.: Lombard reneszánsz. A bergamói Accademia Carrara festményei (PMMI – Ferenczy Múzeum kiadványai, 28. Pest Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Szentendre, 2009)

III. Angol nyelvű összefoglaló / Abstract

THE IMPACT OF VINCENZO FOPPA Vincenzo Foppa of Brescia played a leading role in spreading the new classically inspired style throughout all of Lombardy. Foppa, who had extraordinary narrative skill, reacted very intelligently over the course of his long life to every small artistic change, and he proved able to reinterpret the vision of Tuscan perspective in order to populate his paintings with real people in accordance with the fairly traditional Lombard style. One of his earliest works, which can in all probability be dated to 1450, is a panel painting depicting the Crucifixion. This painting, which is held by the Accademia Carrara, bears witness, at a very early date, to a precise knowledge of classical architecture and a vision constructed on the basis of the rules of perspective. Foppa, who served as an example for many artists, even in the smaller centers, was active at the Visconti Castle in Pavia, then in Milan (where the frescoes he finished in 1468 can still be seen in the Portinari Chapel), Liguria, then again in various places in Lombardy, and finally in his hometown of Brescia. After Foppa, the architectonic perspective in pictures became an all but crucial component of Lombard painting in much the same way as had greater attention to reality. 4. AMBROGIO BERGOGNONE, COURT PAINTER FOR THE SFORZAS The Lombard context of the second half of the Quattrocento is defined, on the one hand, by Foppa's emphasis on depicting reality and, on the other, by the development, taken in a rather more complex sense, of painting, which includes scientific analysis, atmospheric portrayal, and the psychological depiction of the characters. This development characterizes artistic efforts from Zenale to Leonardo. Between these two men, who are as far from one another as possible, Ambrogio da Fossano, alias Bergognone, stands out with his ability to create art that had an impact that, though perhaps lighter, was definitely solemn and opulent and perfectly suited for illustrating the glory of the Sforzas. He might have had some contact with French culture, which would explain how he came to be known as Bergognone. He worked for a long time in the Certosa in Pavia, the church that the dukes had built as their family mausoleum. It would be unfair, though, to see him as just another court painter since his sparkling, vividly colored paintings were widely praised and earned him commissions to produce altarpieces for the most important churches in Milan and elsewhere. He made at least three large polyptychs in Bergamo, and one of them still adorns the Church of the Holy Spirit (Chiesa di Santo Spirito). The other two may have been transferred to the museum from a Dominican church that was demolished in 1561 to make room for the new town wall being built by the Venetians. 5. BERNARDO ZENALE AND THE 'MASTER OF THE SFORZA ALTARPIECE': DIALOGUE WITH LEONARDO Leonardo caused an instant stir in artistic circles when he arrived in Milan in 1482. Despite the fact that Leonardo worked in many different fields - including sculpture, architecture and his well known advances in virtually every area of science and technology - painting is perhaps the area in which his revolutionary impact is most strongly felt. Although Leonardo actually made very few paintings in Milan, their impact proved inescapable and they influenced the painting styles of even well established painters. The identity of the 'master of the Sforza altarpiece' remains unknown. It is certain, though, that he was working in Milan at this time and this is where he made the eponymous altarpiece on which one can see the Madonna and Child Enthroned, Doctors of the Church and family of Ludovico II Moro, which is now in the Brera Art Gallery in Milan. The traditional use of gilding in this painting almost outshines the atmospheric depiction of light à la Leonardo. Zenale, whom even Leonardo held in high regard, was more modern. The present exhibition is proud to include two of his enchanting paintings. 6. MILAN'S INFLUENCE IN BERGAMO (THE MARINONI WORKSHOP) A COMPROMISE WITH VENICE (ANDREA PREVITALI) Bergamo fell under the control of the Venetian Republic (Serenissima) following the Treaty of Lodi in 1454. Throughout the remainder of the century, however, Milan, especially for Bergamo's aristocracy, continued to serve as a point of reference for the arts, which are more resistant to political changes. Suffice it to say that Bartolomeo Colleoni hired the renowned architect Giovanni Antonio Amadeo of Pavia to build his mausoleum in the old town