Nanni di Banco facts for kids
.JPG)
Quick facts for kids
Nanni di Banco
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | c. 1385 |
| Died | 1421 |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Known for | Sculptor |
| Movement | Italian Renaissance |
Nanni d'Antonio di Banco (born around 1384 – died 1421) was a talented Italian Renaissance sculptor. He came from Florence, a famous city in Italy. Nanni di Banco helped change art from the old Gothic style to the exciting new Renaissance style.
Contents
Nanni's Early Years
Nanni was born to Antonio di Banco, who was also an artist. His father worked on the beautiful Florence Cathedral in Florence, Italy. Historians believe Nanni was born sometime between 1375 and 1390. He seemed to be good friends with another famous artist, Donatello.
In 1405, Nanni joined the masons' guild called Arte di Pietra e Legname. A guild was like a special club or union for skilled workers. This allowed him to work directly on the cathedral. He started his career there as a sculptor. Nanni and his father were asked to carve a statue of Isaiah for the Cathedral.
Becoming a Master Sculptor
Nanni's father, Antonio, was mainly a stone-carver. So, Nanni often did the actual sculpting himself. Nanni was the boss, or "Magister," of his family's workshop. Even Donatello worked there for a time, helping to create the famous David sculpture.
Nanni was chosen to carve a large sculpture of Saint Luke. This important project took him five years to finish. He is best known for helping art move from the older Gothic style to the new Italian Renaissance style.
Working with Other Artists
Nanni di Banco lived and worked at the same time as other famous sculptors. These included Donatello and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Nanni was a key sculptor in Florence during the 1400s.
He is very famous for his group of sculptures called Four Crowned Martyrs (or Quattro Santi Coronati). He made this work between 1412 and 1415. The stone carvers' and woodworkers' guild asked him to create it for the Church of Orsanmichele. This artwork is special because the figures look very natural and individual. It also showed how complex a group of sculptures could be.
His Important Artworks
Nanni di Banco became well-known for helping art move from the International Gothic style to the Renaissance. He helped start the Early Renaissance in Florence. Many of his sculptures are still in the Florence Cathedral. Others are in the church and museum of Orsanmichele. His first big work was the Isaiah statue in 1408 for the Cathedral.
The Quattro Coronati was finished around 1416. This sculpture shows four saints talking together. It shows how well human feelings can be shown in stone. You can see the influence of ancient Roman art in these sculptures. The faces and clothing look like old Roman statues. Nanni showed a conversation where one man is speaking, and the others are listening. They are not looking directly at the speaker but are still part of the talk.
His San Luca is a marble sculpture. Nanni di Banco used ideas from humanism in this work. Humanism was a new way of thinking that focused on human values and abilities. This sculpture shows how artists started to show human faces and bodies with more detail and emotion. They used shadows and body positions to make the figures look more real.
Giorgio Vasari wrote about Nanni di Banco in his famous book, Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.
Main Sculptures
- Main relief of the Assumption, Porta di Mandorla, Florence Cathedral (1414–21)
- St. Luke (1408-1415), Florence Cathedral
- Quattro Santi Coronati (Four Saints) (1408–15) - Orsanmichele, Florence
See also
In Spanish: Nanni di Banco para niños
