Orcagna

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Illustration of Andrea di Cione Orcagna in Le vite dei più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architetti by Giorgio Vasari
Medallion by Orcagna at the Kunsthalle Hamburg
Triumph of Death, fresco fragment

Andrea di Cione (* 1308 , 1320 or 1329 in Florence ; † after August 25, 1368 there ), called Orcagna , was an important Florentine painter, sculptor and architect in the middle of the 14th century.

Life

Orcagna was Giotto's successor as a painter . In 1343 the son of a goldsmith appears for the first time in a guild's document . In 1352 he became a member of the stone sculptors' guild. Together with his younger brothers Jacopo, Matteo and Nardo, he ran a flourishing workshop in Florence - probably the most important of its time. As one of the few capable artists who survived the plague epidemics , Andrea Orcagna had pioneering work. He successfully tried to use energy to counteract the characteristics of the flattening of the Giotto's style. In the Capella Strozzi in the transept of Santa Maria Novella in Florence there is an altarpiece with Christ bearing his name and dated 1357, which presents the key and book to Saints Peter and Thomas Aquinas. It is the only panel painting that was definitely made by his hand. What is remarkable about it is how confidently Orcagna breaks open the boundaries of the individual panels and the figures turn towards each other beyond their edges. The same chapel was decorated with frescoes by his brother Nardo di Cione.

The National Gallery in London owns a large altarpiece by him with the coronation of Mary by Christ. The images of the triumph of death, of the Last Judgment and of Hell in Camposanto in Pisa have been wrongly ascribed to him (by Giorgio Vasari ). In his real works he shows himself to be a painter of high moral seriousness, with a character drawing aimed at the sublime and a developed sense of beauty.

Most of the frescoes that he executed in the Basilica of Santa Croce (and that mention Ghiberti ) have been lost. However, the part that represents the triumph of death and has been preserved is in the museum of this church and clearly shows the feeling of forlornness that reigned after the plague disaster.

As an architect he worked on the building of Or San Michele in Florence, the eastern part of which is attributed to him, and on the Loggia dei Lanzi . In 1356 he was appointed chief architect of Or San Michele in Florence. In 1358 he and his brother Matteo were called to Orvieto to work on the cathedral there. In 1364 we find him busy again in Florence.

As a sculptor, he made the splendid tabernacle inside Or San Michele (1359). This work in pure Florentine Gothic shows a renewed sense of sculpture and a remarkable talent for room layout. The bas-relief on the reverse (with his self-portrait) already gives a premonition of the achievements of Florentine sculpture in the 15th century.

In 1368, due to an illness of Andrea Orcagna, his brother Jacopo took over the further execution of an altar piece; Andrea passed away in the same year.

family

Andrea di Cione was married to Francesca di Bencino Azzucci, with whom he had two daughters.

  • Tessa, married Ruggiero di Benedetto.
  • Romola, married Cristofano di Ristoro.

He had three brothers:

  • Bernardo, known as Nardo di Cione, joined the Compagnia de 'Pittori in 1364.
  • Ristoro di Cione was an official.
  • Iacopo di Cione, joined the Compagnia de 'Pittori in 1388.

Works (selection)

  • St. Matthew and scenes from his life, 1368, wood, 290 × 265 cm. Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi.
  • Triptych: Christ with Mary and Saints, 1357, wood. Florence, Santa Maria Novella, Cappella Strozzi.
  • Triumph of Death (fragment), fresco. Florence, Santa Croce.

literature

  • John Henry Middleton: Orcagna. In: Encyclopædia Britannica . Volume 20: Ode – Payment of Members. 1911, pp. 165-166 ( full text [Wikisource]).
  • Orcagna [årka'na], eg. Andrea di Cione. In: Illustreret norsk konversationsleksikon. Volume 5: Lassberg-Rebus. Aschehoug, Oslo 1912, p. 1455 ( runeberg.org ).
  • Orcagna [årka'nja] 1. Arcagnolo [-a'njålå], eg. Andrea di Cione . In: Theodor Westrin, Ruben Gustafsson Berg (eds.): Nordisk familjebok konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi . 2nd Edition. tape 20 : Norrsken – Paprocki . Nordisk familjeboks förlag, Stockholm 1914, Sp. 804-805 (Swedish, runeberg.org ).
  • Gert Kreytenberg: Andrea di Cione (o Orcagna). In: Enciclopedia dell 'Arte Medievale. 1991 ( treccani.it ).
  • Gert Kreytenberg: Orcagna (Andrea di Cione). A universal Gothic artist in Florence. Philipp von Zabern Verlag, Mainz, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-8053-2693-9 .
  • Luisa Marcucci:  Andrea di Cione Arcagnuolo, detto l'Orcagna. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 3:  Ammirato – Arcoleo. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1961.
  • Orcagna . In: Hans Vollmer (Hrsg.): General lexicon of fine artists from antiquity to the present . Founded by Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker . tape 26 : Olivier – Pieris . EA Seemann, Leipzig 1932, p. 38-40 .
  • Giorgio Vasari : Andrea Orgagna / pittore & scultore e architetto fiorentino. [NATO ...; - nel 1376 era morto.] In: Le vite de 'piu eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architetti (=  Raccolta artistica . Volume 3 ). tape 2 . Felice le Monnier, Florence 1846, p. 122-138 ( Text Archive - Internet Archive ).
  • Giorgio Vasari: Vita di D'Andrea di Cione Orcagna. In: Vasari: Le vite dei più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architetti. Newton Compton Editori, Rome 2010, ISBN 978-88-541-1425-8 , p. 212 ff.
  • Vasari: The life of Taddeo Gaddi, Agnolo Gaddi, Buffalmacco, Orcagna, Spinello Aretino and Lorenzo Monaco. Newly translated into German by Victoria Lorini. Ed., Commented by introduced by Fabian Jonietz, Wolf-Dietrich Löhr and Johannes Tripps. Verlag Klaus Wagenbach, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-8031-5063-9 .

Web links

Commons : Orcagna  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dizionario-Biografico states: “ E 'ignoto l'anno della nascita, che dovrebbe cadere nel 1308, se veramente morì sessantenne come dice il Vasari. ”(German:“ The year of his birth is unknown, it would have to fall to 1308 if he actually died in the sixties, as Vasari says. ”) - Luisa Marcucci:  Andrea di Cione Arcagnuolo, detto l'Orcagna. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 3:  Ammirato – Arcoleo. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1961.
  2. ↑ Orcagna [or'-kanja] (Orgagna ell. Arcagnolo, egl. Andrea di Cione) . In: Christian Blangstrup (Ed.): Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon . 2nd Edition. tape 18 : Nordlandsbaad – Perleøerne . JH Schultz Forlag, Copenhagen 1924, p. 570 (Danish, runeberg.org - f. I Firenze 1329 = born in Florence 1329).
  3. ^ Giorgio Vasari: Andrea Orcagna / pittore & scultore e architetto fiorentino. [NATO ...; - nel 1376 era morto.] In: Le vite de 'piu eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architetti . 1846, p. 122–138 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive - family tree on p. 122).
personal data
SURNAME Orcagna
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cione, Andrea di; Andrea di Cione detto Orcagna da Firenze
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Florentine painter, sculptor and architect
DATE OF BIRTH 1320
PLACE OF BIRTH Florence
DATE OF DEATH after August 25, 1368
Place of death Florence