When we think of terracotta sculpture from northern Italy, the first works that come to mind are the impressive Paduan Lamentation groups, especially the masterpieces of Guido Mazzoni and NiccolòÌý»å±ð±ô±ô’A°ù³¦²¹. The name of Giovanni deÌýFondulisÌýis certainly not among the mostÌýwell-known, neither among specialists, nor among ³Ù³ó±ðÌýgeneral public.ÌýAfter all, hisÌýname was only rediscovered in 2006 and his artistic personality was not outlined until an exhibition two years ago. Yet he was, withoutÌýa shadow of a doubt, one of the major sculptors active in Lombardy and the Veneto. His role is comparable to that of ³Ù³ó±ðÌýbetter-knownÌýPietro Lombardo, BartolomeoÌýBellanoÌýand Antonio Rizzo.ÌýThis lecture will offer a reconstruction of the cultural context in which heÌýoperated, pieced together from documents and from his surviving works (whether in churches or dispersed through European and American collections), as well as from records of his lost works.ÌýIt will consider the relationships, artistic development and the biography of an artist who was able to conjure together the eccentric, foliate styles of late gothic Lombardy with the pleasing inventions that Donatello brought to Padua, as he carried Paduan terracotta sculpture towards the novelties of the sixteenth century.ÌýÌý
MarcoÌýScansaniÌýis a Research Fellow at ³Ù³ó±ðÌýScuolaÌýNormaleÌýSuperiore di Pisa on a project dedicated to cataloguing the RenaissanceÌýbronzettiÌýin the Museo del Bargello in Florence.ÌýÌýHe took hisÌý²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’sÌýdegree from the University of Bologna with a thesis on the sculptor and medallist Sperandio Savelli and wasÌýsubsequentlyÌýawarded his doctorate at ³Ù³ó±ðÌýScuolaÌýNormaleÌýin Pisa with a project on the sculptor Giovanni deÌýFondulis.ÌýHis research interests are primarily focussed on the history of Renaissance sculpture in northern Italy, in relation to which he has published various articles and book chapters, as well as made several contributions to exhibitions and conferences.Ìý
Organised by Dr Scott Nethersole (The Courtauld) and Dr Guido Rebecchini (The Courtauld).