Giovanni Pisano facts for kids

Giovanni Pisano started the front of Siena Cathedral and made its sculptures. (These sculptures are copies.)

Giovanni Pisano (around 1250–1315) was a famous Italian sculptor, painter, and architect. He worked in cities like Pisa, Siena, and Pistoia. He is most famous for his sculptures. His art mixed ideas from Gothic art (like French cathedrals) and Ancient Roman art. A famous sculptor named Henry Moore once called him "the first modern sculptor" because of his statues for Siena Cathedral.

Giovanni Pisano's Life and Art

Early Life and Training

Giovanni Pisano was born in Pisa. He was the son of another very famous sculptor, Nicola Pisano. Giovanni learned his skills in his father's workshop.

From 1265 to 1268, he worked with his father on a special pulpit (a raised platform for speaking) inside Siena Cathedral. Their next big project together was a large fountain called Fontana Maggiore in Perugia. This fountain was finished in 1278.

Nicola Pisano, Giovanni's father, likely passed away around 1278 or 1284. After this, Giovanni moved to Siena. In their early works, it's hard to tell which parts were made by Giovanni and which by his father. This is because Giovanni first worked in his father's style. However, a sculpture called Madonna with Child is definitely by Giovanni. It shows a new, warmer style between the mother and child.

Working in Pisa and Siena

The pulpit of Pisa Cathedral

Giovanni's next important job was at Pisa Cathedral. Between 1277 and 1284, he carved statues for the outside of the Baptistry building. These statues look very lively and show that he was moving away from his father's calmer style.

From 1287 to 1296, Giovanni became the main architect of Siena Cathedral. He designed the building and created beautiful sculptures for its front. His work here mixed Gothic art with ideas from Roman art. Other artists continued this work after him, adding even more Gothic details.

Later Works and Masterpieces

In 1296, Giovanni went back to Pisa to start work on the Church of San Giovanni. He also continued working on the Pulpit of Sant' Andrea in Pistoia, which he had begun in 1297. This pulpit has five detailed carvings. They show scenes like the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Crucifixion, and the Last Judgement.

Between 1302 and 1310, Giovanni created a new pulpit for the Cathedral of Pisa. This work really shows his unique style. He made his characters look very active and dramatic. This pulpit, with its powerful scenes, is considered his greatest work. It shows nine scenes from the New Testament. They are carved in white marble, creating strong light and shadow effects. It even includes a carving of Hercules. One figure, Prudence, might have inspired the Eve in the famous painting The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden by Masaccio. This pulpit was taken apart after a fire in 1595. It was only found and put back together in 1926.

Giovanni also helped enlarge the church of San Nicola in Pisa between 1297 and 1313. He might have designed it. He was also in charge of the front of San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno. His last major work was probably around 1313. He made a monument to remember Margaret of Brabant, who died in 1311. Her husband, Emperor Henry VII, asked him to create it.

Giovanni Pisano's Legacy

Giovanni Pisano taught many students. One of them was Giovanni di Balduccio, who also became a famous sculptor. The architect and sculptor Agostino da Siena was another of his students. Giovanni also influenced the painter Pietro Lorenzetti.

A famous writer named Giorgio Vasari wrote about Giovanni Pisano in his book Le vite dei più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architetti. This book tells the lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects.

An asteroid (a small rocky body in space) called 7313 Pisano was named to honor both Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.

Gallery

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  Madonna and Child from the cathedral, Pisa (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo de Pisa)

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  The statues of the facade of Siena Cathedral, (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo de Siena)

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  The Prophet Haggai from Siena Cathedral (V&A, London)

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  The Crucifixion from the pulpit of Sant' Andreas, Pistoia

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  The Annunciation from the pulpit of Sant' Andrea, Pistoia

See also

In Spanish: Giovanni Pisano para niños

• Giovanni di Cecco
• Duccio
• Arnolfo di Cambio