Francesco Bonsignori

Portrait of Francesco Bonsignori. Rijksmuseum, Netherland. (Unknown)

Francesco Bonsignori (c. 1455 - July 2, 1519), also known as Francesco Monsignori, was an Italian painter and draughtsman, characterized by his excellence on religious subjects, portraits, architectural perspective and animals. He was born in Verona and died in Caldiero, a city near Verona. Bonsignori’s style in early period was under the influence of his teacher Liberale da Verona. After becoming the portraitist and court artist to the Gonzaga family of Mantua in 1487, his style was influenced by Andrea Mantegna, who also worked for Francesco Gonzaga from the 1480s. They collaborated to execute several religious paintings, mainly with theme of Madonna and Child. The attribution of the portrait of a Venetian Senator (National Gallery, London) was debatable until last century because of the similarity in techniques used by Bonsignori and his teacher Mantegna. Bonsignori’s late style was decisively influenced by Lorenzo Costa’s in terms of form and color. He produced his last monumental altarpiece the Adoration of the Blessed Osanna Andreasi (Pal.Ducale, Mantua) in 1519 shortly before his death.  

Family

Francesco Bonsignori was born in Verona in 1455, the eldest among three sons in the Bonsignori family. His father Albertus Bonsignori was a well-known amateur painter. In childhood, Francesco was the most artistically talented out of the four children. His brothers, Bernardino (c.1476 - 1520) and Girolamo (c.1479 - unknown) also became painters. Specifically, his younger brother Girolamo was highly appraised for his fine copy of Leonard da Vinci’s last supper of the order of the Dominicans.

Apprenticeships and early career

Apprenticeship under Liberale da Verona

Bonsignori was the pupil and apprentice of Liberale da Verona until the age of 32. Liberale da Verona had contributed to the spread of the Squarcione style to Siena, and played an important role in influencing some Sienese painters such as Girolamo da Cremona. His appreciation of Francesco Squarcione, founder of the Paduan school and teacher of Andrea Mantegna subsequently influenced Bonsignori’s early style and taste. Liberale da Verona was well-known for painting frescoes and altarpieces. Although he was renowned for his inventiveness and verve, his later works expose a shortage of consistent innovation and originality compared to his earlier period.

Bonsignori: Captive Kings before a Judge. York Museums Trust. (1480)

Early period

Bonsignori’s early career is the most fully and detailed documented period among his life. Account of his early life is mainly found in Giorgio Vasari’s book “Lives of the Paintersm Sculptors and Architects”. Fewer than a dozen drawings attributed to Bonsginori during his early career period have come down to current generation. Most paintings mentioned in Vasari’s account have perished. Bonsignori bares another name “Monsignori”, as was miscalled by Vasari in his book. Bonsignori's pseudonym has appeared in several documentations from Renaissance period, while he signed all his committed artwork “Bonsignori”.

His paintings portraying animals often deceived dogs and birds. Thus, he was also renowned as “Modern Zeuxis”, an ancient Greek animal painter. He often integrated subtle element observed in the nature and daily life into religious paintings to create close-to-life altarpieces, which distinguished himself significantly from other painters. In 1483, he produced his first signed work Virgin and Child (Castelvecchio,Verona). The style of this work is similar to that of Madonna with Saints (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin), produced by his teacher Liberale de Verona. Influenced by his teacher, Bonsignori produced several altarpieces from 1484 to 1492. He completed the Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints (Castelvecchio,Verona) in 1484.

During Bonsignori’s early career, he had limited characteristics in his paintings in terms of composition, form and coloring. He was constantly inspired and influenced by different artists, including his early models Giovanni Bellini, Alvise Vivari, Antonello da Messina, and Andrea Mantegna. Integration of several styles from different contemporary masters is notable in Bonsignori’s early pieces. However, he was characterized by his concentration on human figures in devotional picture and portraits. Landscape and architectural settings in the background are often less significant in his paintings. Although Bonsignori had limited unique characteristics as he constantly drew inspiration and identifiably influenced from various artists, his early style was critically acclaimed by his contemporaries.

Mantua period

Bonsignori's middle career period refers to the time after he moved to Mantua in 1487. The portrait of a Venetian Senator (National Gallery, London) was signed and dated in 1487. Successively, he produced several altarpieces depicting the Virgin and Child Enthroned with Music-making Angels and SS George and Jerome (Banda Chapel, S Bernardino,Verona) in 1488. Due to lack of popularity and documentation, The Virgin and Child Enthroned with SS Anthony of Egypt and Onofrio, signed and dated in 1988 was only known to the current generation in 19th-century through a copy currently preserved in Florence. Account of Bonsignori’s middle period is only resourced from the official documents from the Gonzaga court in Mantua. There is an undocumented period with no official record from the Gonzaga court about Bonsignori between 1495 and July 1506.

Bonsignori and Gonzaga family  

Bonsignori: Portrait of Francesco Sforza. Unknown (circa 1490)

The Bonsignori family together with its most famous family member Francesco Bonsignori and his two brothers moved from Verona to Mantua in 1487. Francesco Bonsignori was employed by the Gonzaga family as a portrait painter and in charge of decorations of their palace at Marmirolo and Gonzaga. Vasari reports that he lived at the court of Francesco, Marquis of Mantua, where his life-long patron Francesco Gonzaga purchased a house for him and his family. Bonsignori was also awarded a piece of land in the Gonzaga territory as the reward for this service in 1494. Compliance with the wishes of Gonzaga family earned him both reputation and status as one of the most esteemed artist in Mantua. Due to the monopoly in the local artistic scene and prevalence of the Gonzaga family, Bonsignori’s artworks produced while serving the Duke of Mantua are unified in terms of theme and content, focusing on figure portraits of noble family and altarpieces. Francesco Gonzaga kept Bonsignori busy, as seen from the consecutive production of portraits by Bonsignori for Gonzaga family members. In 1494, Bonsignori produced a portrait of Francesco Gonzaga's sister Eleonora Gonzaga (c. 1493–1550). In 1495, Francesco Gonzaga commissioned a painting to display his military capability and leadership as the leader of Italian force and commemorate his victory against French king Charles Vlll in Fornovo on 6^th July 1495. Two months after the war, Bonsignori travelled to Fornovo with Gonzaga’s court architect Bernardino Ghisolfi (c. 1483–1511) to capture and record the landscape. A chalk drawing of Francesco Gonzaga (National Gallery, Dublin) was executed and signed and dated in 1499. It is debatable until the last century that this portrait can be attributed to Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini, both of whom are Bonsignori’s early models, due to the high quality and refined techniques executed in the drawing. It is one of the Bonsignori’s most vigorous and sympathetic portrayal of a ruler, marking the affectionate and warm relationship between Bonsignori and his life-long patron, friend and admirer Francesco Gonzaga. In the same year, Bonsignori produced portrait of Isabella d’ Este, 4^th Marchesa of Mantua, which was delayed by her husband’s commission. From 1495 to July 1506, there is no official document from Gonzaga court of Mantua recording Bonsignori’s activities. In 1506, Bonsignori worked on the Last Supper for the monastery of Francesco de’ Zoccolanti in Mantua. The painting portraits a religious theme, with Federica Gonzaga, 5^th Marquese of Mantua kneeling in front of his father Francesco Bonsignori. The chalk painting of the Young Federico Gonzaga (Albertina,Vienna) is considered to be a preparatory study for this resultant painting. Federico Gonzaga is depicted as being commended to Christ by St. Francis. On the opposite side, two proficient Gonzaga family members Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga (1469 - 1525) and Eleonora Gonzaga are praised by St. Bernard. In the same year, another altar-piece SS Louis and Francis with the insignia of Christ (Brera, Milan) preserved in the monastery of S Francesco de’ Zoccolanti in Mantua was executed. In 1509, Bonsignori created portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga (1471–1526) (Uffiz, Florence), and that of Emilia Pia di Montefeltro (1470–1528) (MD Museum, Baltimore). Bonsignori produced countless portraits of noble family in Mantua. Among the collection of portrait drawings, the majority belonged to the Gonzaga family for use as presents to foreign rulers in all Italian states. Francesco Sforza, Massimiliano Sforza, (Duke of Milan) also commissioned their portraits. Since Bonsignori usually made monochrome record drawing of his portraits, a collection of portrayal copies created by Bonsignori is well-preserved by his heirs in Verona. After Francesco Gonzaga died in March 1519, his son Federica Gonzaga supported him as his biggest and last patron until Bonsignori’s death in July 1519.

Bonsignori and Andrea Mantegna

Mantegna and Bonsignori: Madonna and Child. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK (1491)

Mantegna spent most of his life working for the Gonzaga family as court painter to the Gonzagas. Since he mainly focused on decorating their castles with frescoes in a small town in Mantua, he did not produce many paintings, but still devoted time to his workshop and traditional apprenticeship. Bonsignori was one of his few students in his workshop in Mantua.

Bonsignori was already a master with a fair amount of reputation when he came to Mantua and joined Mantegna's workshop in 1490. Between 1491 and 1492, Bonsignori worked as Mantegna’s assistant at Marmirolo, Mantua. They were devoted to produce several artworks together during this period. In 1491, The Napoleon Madonna – Madonna and child (Messers. G. Wildenstein & Co., London) was painted by Mantegna with Bonsignori’s assistance. The origin of this new painting of Madonna can be traced back to the collection of the Palais Royal in Paris. It was sold by Prince Jerome Napoleon is 1872, and was exhibited in Burlington House in 1880 and 1894. It’s difficult to determine the exact share of each of the two painters in this artwork. However, it’s certain that Mantua designed and outlined the composition initially. Mantegna also painted the Child and the medallion on the parapet in his studio since the characterized Mantegnesque manner is obvious. The composition of the Napoleon Madonna is exactly the same as the Madonna and Child (Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin) which Mantegna completed in his middle period. Mantegna then left the painting unfinished as he was busy with the decorations of Gonzaga palace in the 1490s. His assistant Bonsignori completed the task of finishing the picture. A similar collaboration can be observed in the Portrait of a Warrior in the Widener Collection (Lynnewood Hall, Philadelphia), where Bonsignori executed the portrait while Mantegna designed and painted in his studio. During his apprenticeship under Mantegna, Bonsignori also completed his paintings the Head of a Female Saint (Poldi-Pezzoli Museum, Milan), the Portrait of Youth (Metropolitan museum, New York) and the Madonna with four Saints (1490-1510, The National Gallery, London). The facial expressions of human figures in the pictures are notably similar to that of the Napoleon Madonna, which clearly signifies the influence of Mantegna on his style. Certain morphological details such as the nose, mouse, and eyes are painted identically in terms of modelling and shape. Bonsignori was obsessed with painting historical subjects. Less learned and correct in his design than Mantegna, he is more modern in his style and his coloring has more morbidezza. He excelled in painting animals, which he was fond of introducing in the background of his artworks. His animal paintings occasionally deceived other animals, and he was known as “the modern Zeuxis”. One of his pictures representing “St. Louis” is well-preserved in the Brera at Milan. There are some perspective views in the refectory of the church of the Franciscans at Mantua, demonstrating that he was a true master of that branch of art.

Portrait of an Elderly Man

Bonsignori: Portrait of an Elderly Man, also deduced as Portrait of a Venetian Senator. The National Gallery, London. (1487)

Since Mantegna’s Mantuan portraits had significant impacts on Bonsignori’s style, the attribution of an artwork The Portrait of an Elderly Man (National Gallery, London), produced by Bonsignori during his middle period, confused modern art historians until 19^th century. In the mid-19^th century, the portrait was purchased by a Venetian collector Cesare Bernasconi. The character portrayed in this painting was firstly identified by Bernasconi as Giovanni Cappello, a member of the ancient patrician Cappello family of Venice. His identity was further confirmed by 17^th century family genealogy, as a senator and procurator of San Marco from 1466. Therefore, this painting also bears another name The portrait of Venetian senator. The elderly man is depicted as an honorable and distinguished Venetian Patrician, wearing a black hat, stole and scarlet gown with fur around the neck. Besides the formal portraiture, Bonsignori integrated more innovative elements into a traditional portrait of a nobleman, which was typical of contemporary artists in Northern Italy. The green parapet in the foreground with an illusionistic cartellino and the dark neutral background signify innovation in Bonsignori’s style. The Venetian senator does not directly gaze at the viewers, which creates a distant atmosphere that emphasizes patrician’s dignity and nobleness.

Bonsignori: Madonna and Child with Saints Lawrence and Margaret of Antioch. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum. (1483-1484)

The attribution of a black chalk drawing with the same figure depicted has been argued about for centuries. The vibrant facial expression, incisive observation and depiction of the elder man’s features, and the skillful play on light brought up opinions among art historians that the chalk drawing was created by Mantegna as a preparatory study for Bonsignori’s use. However, the attribution was later clarified to go to Bonsignori. This is supported by evidence from contemporary sources and comparison of styles between Mantegna and Bonsignori. It can be observed that the chalk drawing is more vibrant than the painted drawing. Even though art historians Philip Pouncey, David Ekserdjian and Konrad Oberhuber suggest that it was Mantegna who created it as a model for Bonsignori, it’s difficult to explain why the resultant artwork by Bonsignori is even less vivid and animated than the preparatory work his teacher had shown him. In addition, distinctive techniques applied by Mantegna in his paintings, such as strong diagonal brushstrokes and the vigorous plasticity of figure's are absent here. In fact, the execution of linear outlines, tepid evenness and tonal modeling rather suggest the style of Bonsignori. Contemporary sources also exemplify the steps followed by Bonsignori in his portraiture practice. Letters exchanged between Francesco Gonzaga, 4^th Marquess of Mantua and his wife Isabella d’ Este, concerning the portrait of their son proved that the charcoal cartoon was part of Bonsignori’s working method before transferring the design to a panel. They highly praised its high quality: “quello di carbone piu bello che mai vedesti” ("That one in charcoal more beautiful than any you have ever seen.") Vasari also mentioned in his book the collection of chiaroscuro records of painted drawings kept in Bonsignori’s workshop by his heirs. Suggestive of Bonsignori’s drawing habits, this carefully executed cartoon of an elderly man in the Albertina can be affirmed as a record drawing of The Portrait of an Elderly Man (National Gallery, London). It cannot be denied that Mantegna’s influence on Bonsignori is evident. However, Bonsignori formed a unique style and artistic temperament that distinguished him from his contemporaries.

Evolution of Madonna and Child

The early compositions of Madonna by Bonsignori are Virgin and Child (c.1483, Castelvecchio,Verona), followed by the dal Bovo Altarpiece, depicting the Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints, (c.1484, Castelvecchio,Verona). They exemplify the earliest version of representing Madonna and Child, with typical characteristic of formation of arc behind the head of Madonna. The skills are immature, as Bonsignori is still not familiar with linear perspective. He fails to represent haloes and trees in three-dimensional form. The background is desolated and less significant, which is typical of Bonsignori’s style in his early period. The painting is also geometrically symmetry, which restricts the free expression of natural beauty. The modelling of the drapery on Onophrius, Jerome, Bishop Saint and Altobella Avogadro is plastic and hard. The facial expression of Madonna is gentle and warm, which differentiates Bonsignori from other painters in the 15^th century, such as Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini and Alvise Vivari, who painted Madonna with solemnness and impassiveness. It’s obvious that Bonsignori hasn’t been influenced by Mantegna’s style before moving to Mantua in 1487.

Bonsignori: The Virgin and Child with Four Saints. The National Gallery, London. (Between circa 1490 and circa 1510)

The Napoleon Madonna features the last step of evolution in Madonna paintings, as well as progression of Bonsignori’s skills. Madonna with the Child are sitting on the parapet, which clearly suggest the influence of Mantegna’s style. The Madonna and Child (Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin) concentrates on human figures. The background is a dark, neutral one with a garland of fruits hanging behind Madonna. Contrarily, Napoleon Madonna gives impression of freedom as there are abundant spaces on all four sides of the painting. Instead of focusing on the figures, Mantegna and Bonsignori presented landscape in the background, which reinforced perfect freedom and a playful atmosphere. The treatment of folds in the drapery is much softer, indicating advancement in skills Bonsignori undergone during his middle period. The medallion on the parapet are added to balance the fruits and ribbon, also representing a sense of symmetry. The Child is painted with coquettish attitude rather than a distant and severe facial expression from Mantegna’s style in middle period. This sense of freedom and elegance of this composition is typical of Bonsignori’s style, and also signifies Mantegna’s change of style in his late career.

Late period and maturation of style (1507-1519)

After Andrea Mantegna’s death in September 1506, controversy about who would succeed Mantegna as court painter to the Gonzagas arose. Bonsignori, as Mantegna’s favorite pupil who was both talented and supported by the powerful Gonzaga family in Matua, was one of the highly respected master painter after Mantegna among the court artists. However, the Mantuan court did not select Bonsignori as their court painter. Vasari accounted for the piety by referring to Bonsignori’s failure to express his passion and reverence towards antiquity, which was popular among the artists in Mantua as one of the artistic requirements. In addition, Isabella d’ Este, the Marchesa of Mantua who controlled the prevalence of art in Mantua, didn’t appreciate his artistic perception. Following Mantegna, Lorenzo Costa the elder succeeded as the court painter of Mantua in 1507. He had a significant impact on Bonsignori’s style in late period in terms of mood and color. The altar-piece Christ Carrying the Cross (Pal. Ducale, Mantua) created by Bonsignori in 1510 substantiates the influence of Costa. Use of form and color in St. Sebastian (S Maria delle Grazie, Curtatone) and the Virgin and Child in Glory with SS Blaise, Sebastian, Martial and Juliana (SS Nazaro e Velso, Verona) produced between 1510 and 1519 can be identified as typical of Costa’s style. Bonsignori completed his final major work the Adoration of the Blessed Osanna Andreasi (Pal. Ducale, Mantua) in 1519, shortly before his death.

Bonsignori: Saint Sebastiano. Museo Statale d'Arte, Arezzo. (Between circa 1510 and circa 1519)

Pangs of St. Sebastian

St. Sebastian was locally favored in Mantua in 16^th century. Bonsignori was often inspired from life and conscientiously observed and copied items from nature. As a preparation for St Sebastian (S Maria delle Grazie, Curtatone), he spent 4 years on observation and execution to achieve naturalistic effects. Vasari mentioned in his book that Bonsignori used a sturdy porter as his model for the natural effect, suggested by his patron Francesco Gonzaga. By modelling the saint on some fine figure of man, Bonsignori carefully examined the movement of muscle and transfer of weight. There is an anecdote regarding the creation of this work mentioned in Vasari’s book. When Gonzaga first visited Bonsignori’s studio, he complained that the bindings of St. Sebastian were minimal and there was no sign of frenzy to loosen them. Additionally, the saint did not show sense of panic expected in a man bound up and shot at with arrows. The figure lacked the power and expression of emotion to transfix the viewer. The next day, Bonsignori sought for a more convincible demonstration of St. Sebastian by trussing up his model. However, he soon sent a secret message to Gonzaga, confessing his failure to understand his will. Gonzaga burst into his studio in the afternoon, furiously waving a crossbow to the porter, yelling “Traitor! You’re a dead!” Terrified by his attack, the porter manically tried to break the ropes to escape. The fear in the wretched porter’s facial expression and physical frenzy ideally replicated the physical and psychological struggle St. Sebastian would experience when he was about to be mortally pierced with arrows. Inspired by Gonzaga, Bonsignori recomposed his painting more realistically and naturalistically.

Bonsignori: The Adoration of the Blessed Osanna Andreasi. Pal. Ducale, Mantua (1519)

The Blessed Osanna

Bonsignori: The chalk drawing of Isabella d' Este. National Gallery, London. (1519)

Unlike the Madonna and Child with Four saints (National Gallery, London), Bonsignori is no longer overawed by Mantegna. The Adoration of the Blessed Osanna Andreasi (Pal. Ducale, Mantua) depicts The Blessed Osanna (1449 – 1505) as a highly-esteemed nun, surrounded by three Dominican nuns and two women, including Isabella d’ Este, 4^th Marchesa of Mantua in a secular dress, who is kneeling in the left foreground. According to the chalk portrait of donatrix Bonsignori made for this altarpiece (British Museum, London), Bonsignori first drew Isabella d’ Este dressed as a widow, indicating the painting was executed after the death of her husband Francesco Gonzaga on 29^th March 1519. The chalk drawing is a preparatory drawing used for the resultant painted piece. The identical details of pose and costume in both drawings prove that the they are created by the same artist. The painting depicts her as a younger and prettier woman, with no trace of double-chin as in the chalk drawing. She holds herself upright, showing her elegance and pride as a noble woman. The spontaneity, fluency of lines and the presence of pentimento in her neck and face substantiate that the altarpiece is Bonsignori’s original study. The Brief Sanctioning her cult in the province of Mantua was only issued on 20^th January 1515. The rays of beatification emanating from the Beata’s head implies that the drawing has been executed at least 10 years after her death in 1505. Even though there is a great veneration paid to the Beata from the people before and after her death, this altarpiece is unlikely to be commissioned earlier. Bonsignori focused on the facial expression and gestures of figures, rather than architectural element and natural landscape with narrative details in the background. The detailed depiction of Osanna’s facial features shows us the familiarity Bonsignori had about the figure, who was a venerated spiritual and political advisor of the Gonzaga family for decades. She was also well-known for her posthumous intervention in curing Isabella d’ Este’s chronic headache in 1507. Her remains were transferred to S. Domenica in the presence of Francesco Gonzaga, showing her close connection with the Gonzaga family. The composition style of this devotional painting is as old-fashioned as Bonsignori’s first altar-piece in 1484. The integration of style between his early and late period signifies a maturation of style and formation of uniqueness. Bonsignori died during the cure at Caldiero near Verona four months later. In his last monumental artwork, Bonsignori achieved unique combination of the devotional picture and portrait, which are the genres he dedicated to for his entire career.

Major works

Bonsignori: The Lamentation with a Benedictine Donor. The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. (Circa 1490)

Profile of warrior - Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore

Christ bearing Cross, and Saint Veronica -  Bargello Carrand Collection, Florence

Furniture panel: Apollo and Daphne - Berenson Collection, Florence

The lamentation with a Benedictine Donor - The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford

Portrait of an elderly man - 1487, The National Gallery, London

Way to Golgotha.L. Visions of Blessed Osanna Andeasi, with Isabella d’Este - Palazzo Ducale, Mantua

Bust of elderly man - J.G. Johnson Collection, Philadelphia

Bust of youthful Savior - J.G. Johnson Collection, Philadelphia

Madonna and sleeping Child - 1483, Verona

Madonna and Child enthroned with SS. Onophrius, Jerome, Christopher, Bishop Saint and Altobella Avigadro, widow of Donato Dal Bovo - 1484, Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona

Two Angels holding curtain - S. Anastasia, over sacristy door, Verona

Madonna and Child enthroned with SS. Jerome and George - 1488, S. Bernardino, Cappella Dei Banda, Verona

Madonna and Child in Glory and SS. Blaise, Sebastian and Juliana - 1514-19, SS. Nazaro E Celso, Verona

Madonna and Child with SS. Anthony Abbot and Mary Magdalen - S. Paolo, First chapel R, Verona

Crucifixion - S. Lorenzo, fourth alter, R. transept, Vicenza

Predella: Two captive kings before a judge – York

Bust of Petrus Leonius – Homeless

Madonna and Child - 1491, The Samuel H. Kress Collection, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK

Head of female saint - Poldi-Pezzoli museum, Milan