Lazzaro Bastiani facts for kids

Lazzaro Bastiani, Portrait of the Venetian doge Francesco Foscari, Museo Civico Correr, Venice, 1457–1460

Lazzaro Bastiani (born around 1429 – died April 5, 1512) was an Italian painter from the Renaissance period. He was mostly active in the city of Venice, known for his beautiful artworks.

Who Was Lazzaro Bastiani?

Lazzaro Bastiani was an important artist during the Italian Renaissance, a time when art, science, and culture blossomed in Europe. He was born in Padua, another city in Italy, but spent most of his painting career in Venice. His works often showed religious scenes and portraits.

Early Life and Career

Bastiani is first mentioned as a painter in Venice around 1460. This was when he received payment for an altarpiece (a painting placed behind the altar in a church) for a church called San Samuele. This shows he was already a recognized artist. By 1462, he was paid the same amount as Giovanni Bellini, who was another very famous painter of that time. This means Bastiani was highly respected for his skills.

In 1470, he became a member of the Scuola di San Girolamo in Venice. A "Scuola" was like a brotherhood or a guild, where people with similar interests or professions gathered.

Important Works and Collaborations

During the 1480s, Lazzaro Bastiani worked with another well-known artist, Gentile Bellini, for the Scuola Grande di San Marco. A "Scuola Grande" was a large and important charitable organization that often commissioned (ordered) artworks for their buildings.

Some of Bastiani's famous paintings include:

• Coronation of the Virgin (which can be seen at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice)
• Nativity (painted in 1477)
• St. Anthony on the Nut Tree

Later Years and Legacy

Later in his life, in 1508, Lazzaro Bastiani was asked to help judge the value of paintings by another artist named Giorgione. He did this important task alongside his own student, Vittore Carpaccio, who also became a famous painter. Bastiani passed away on April 5, 1512. His work helped shape the art scene in Venice during the Renaissance.