Giovanni Santi facts for kids
Giovanni Santi (born around 1435, died 1494) was an Italian painter. He was also the father of the famous artist, Raphael. Giovanni was born in a place called Colbordolo, in the Duchy of Urbino. He learned painting from Piero della Francesca. He also worked as a special painter for the Duke of Urbino. Giovanni Santi painted many religious artworks called altarpieces. He passed away in Urbino.
Life as a Painter
Giovanni Santi was born in 1435 in Colbordolo. This town was part of the Duchy of Urbino. His parents were Sante di Peruzzolo and Elisabetta di Matteo. For a while, he worked as a small merchant. Later, he decided to become a painter.
He studied art with the famous painter Piero della Francesca. Giovanni was also inspired by another artist, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo. He seemed to be a helper and friend to Melozzo da Forlì.
Giovanni Santi became the official painter for Federico da Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino. Being a "court painter" meant he worked directly for the Duke. He created many large paintings for churches. These artworks are called altarpieces.
Some of his paintings can be seen in famous museums today. Two are in the Berlin Museum. There is a painting of the Virgin Mary in a church in Urbino. Other works are in Fano, London, and Urbino. You can also find his "Annunciation" in Milan. His painting of a resurrected Christ is in Budapest. A painting of Saint Jerome is in the Lateran Palace.
Art and Poetry
The Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, was very interested in books and writing. Giovanni Santi was not just a painter; he was also a poet. He wrote a long poem about the life of Duke Federico. He also helped create plays and decorations for special events at the Duke's court.
His poem shows that he knew about many great painters. He was aware of artists from northern Italy and even from the Netherlands. Because the court in Urbino was small, Giovanni was likely very close to the Duke's family.
Duke Federico died in 1482. His son, Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, became the new Duke. Guidobaldo married Elisabetta Gonzaga. Under their rule, the court continued to be a place for art and literature. In 1483, Giovanni's son, Raphael, was born. Raphael would later become one of the most famous painters in history. Giovanni Santi died in Urbino in 1494.
Giovanni's List of Painters
Giovanni Santi wrote a long poem to honor Duke Federico. In this poem, he also talked about painting. He mentioned a visit to Mantua, where the Duke admired the skill of Andrea Mantegna. Giovanni then wrote that "In this splendid and gentle art / so many have been famous in our century / that it make others seem destitute."
Santi then listed many famous painters of his time. This list is very important because it shows which artists were well-known in the late 1400s. It includes 27 important painters from Italy and Flanders. Here are some of the artists Giovanni Santi mentioned:
- Fra Angelico
- Domenico Ghirlandaio
- Piero and Antonio del Pollaiuolo
- Sandro Botticelli
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Filippino Lippi
- Pietro Perugino
- Luca Signorelli
- Gentile Bellini
- Giovanni Bellini
- Andrea Mantegna
- Andrea del Castagno
- Cosimo Tura
- Piero della Francesca
- Ercole de' Roberti
- Francesco di Pesello or Pesellino
- Masaccio
- Paolo Uccello
- Pisanello
- Domenico Veneziano
- Melozzo da Forlì
- Gentile da Fabriano
- Antonello da Messina
- Jan van Eyck
- Rogier van der Weyden
