Artists

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  The Triumph of Death $AU 255.77 ~ 1,039.24

According to Giorgio Vasari, Andrea Orcagna (1308 Florence-after 1368 Florence), whose actual name was Andrea di Cione Arcagnuolo, was trained as a painter by his older brother Nardo. Orcagna remained in Florence his entire life, busy with commissions for frescoes and altarpieces. The multifaceted master was not only a painter, however, but also a sculptor, architect, and poet. As early as 1374 his name occurs in a document from Pistoia citing him as being among the best Florentine artists, and later both Lorenzo Ghiberi (c. 1380-1435) and Vasari praised him highly. Characteristic of Orcagna's work are large painting formats and monumental design of the statuesque-like figures, all of which reveal a familiarity with Giotto. The lively coloration and rhythmically Gothic flow of lines in the figures' clothing are signs of the new style that would subsequently give a decisive stamp to Florentine art. Works by the artist include Christ with the Virgin and Saints (Pala Strozzi), 1357, Santa Maria Novella, Florence; and The Triumph of Death, c. 1360, Fresco fragment, San Croce, Florence.