Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci known as Pérugin (born v. 1448 with Città della Pieve, close to Perugia - died in 1523 with Fontignano) is a Italian Artist-painter of the Renaissance, which was one of the Masters of Raphaël. It painted religious paintings especially, and its works offer little variety; but they have much grace and harmony.

Biography

Pérugin was formed by studying works of Piero della Francesca and Verrocchio, of which he was probably the pupil with Florence between 1470 and 1472, in company of some Léonard de Vinci. He worked mainly in Ombrie, with Florence and Rome, but also with Lucca, Bologna, Venice, Cremona, Ferrare and Milan.

Among his early works one distinguishes the Scènes from the life of Saint-Bernard (1473), the Worship of the Magi (1476) and different Vierges dispersed in many museums from Europe which were allotted a long time to Verrocchio. In all these works a mixture is released from the influences of its two Masters.

He works with Rome starting from 1478. Between 1480 and 1482, it contributes to the frescos of the Chapelle Sixtine with other large Masters of the time. Pérugin painted there three scenes, including two in collaboration with Pinturicchio ( Baptism of Christ and Brace travelling to Egypt ). Freeing itself little by little from the example of Piero della Francesca, it privileges in its compositions clearness, the balance and the classicism of the forms.

In works of Pérugin, in those of the Pinturicchio or the young person Raphaël, which was its pupil, the landscape is not regarded as a simple decorative element with the background of the table. A dialog must be established between the landscape and the figures of the foreground, aiming at registering those in a vast space, according to harmonious reports/ratios. This interpretation causes to make it possible to the painter to find in his table a perfect balance between the evocation of reality and mental construction.

In 1485, Pietro Vanucci is named citizen of honor of Perugia, which has is worth its nickname of Pérugin to him.

When its reputation is established, its activity becomes overflowing. It opens two workshops - one in Perugia, the other in Florence - to face the many orders which are entrusted to him. At this time its work reaches greatest maturity, with broad compositions integrated in vast open spaces. Its productions multiply, but lose sometimes in quality, when it does not have any more time to ensure the realization partly of it.

• Between 1494 and 1495 it carries out a Pietà and the fresco of the Crucifixion of the church S.Maria Maddalena de Pazzi.

• Between end 1495 and 1496, on order of the Décemvir S of Perugia, it realizes for the vault of the Public Hotel, a retable (currently dissociated, a part being preserved at Perugia, the other with the the Vatican, representing the Vierge with on its knees the Child-Jesus, surrounded by Saint Laurent, Saint Ludovic of Toulouse, then Saint Herculanus and Constant Saint, guards of the city.
• Of 1496 with 1499, it realizes, on order of the monks Bénédictins, polyptyque for the Master furnace bridge of the church Saint-Pierre in Perugia, which was dismounted at the end of the 16th century, during the restoration of the church. The central panel represented the Ascension with the twelve Apôtre S, the Vierge and of the Ange S; above, God in majesty. On the prédelle one were reproduced: worship of the Magi, Baptism of Christ, Resurrection and two panels showing the protective Saints of Perugia. Lastly, bellow of the columns, on both sides of the Rise, six panels represent Saints Benedictines.
• Between 1500 and 1504 it carries out the Mariage of the Virgin and the Résurrection . It is of these years that date its friendship with the young painter Raphaël, who came near him to be formed with the pictorial technique.
• In 1502, Pérugin receives an ordering of a Retable for the chapter of Augustins of Perugia, but the realization was delayed by it until in 1512 and work was to remain unfinished with dead of the artist. The retable was dismembered in 1683. A fragment representing Midsummer's Day the Evangelist and Saint-Augustin is with the Musée of Augustins of Toulouse. The other fragments are dispersed between Perugia, Louvre, Alabama, Lyon, and Grenoble.

In the last years of its life he works intensely for the principal churches of Ombrie and Tuscany, and for Isabella Gonzaga, for which he carries out the Lotta will tra Amore E Castità in 1505. In 1508, it decorates the vault with the room “Incendio LED Borgo” with the the Vatican. Starting from this date, he works in Perugia and in his surroundings, and a certain impoverishment of the style and a repetition of his greater compositions are noted.

With Sitted, in the Basilica Holy-Marie-of-Angels ( Santa Maria degli Angeli ), built at the 16th century on the site of the vault of Portioncule - a small vault, already places from there at the 6th century, where in 1208, Saint François founded his order - a new work until at the time unknown factor was discovered, during work of restoration of this vault. It is about a Fresque representing a Crucifixion , which was allotted to Pérugin. It would have been painted in 1486, year when Pietro Vanucci came to Assise in August, as attests files of them.

Pérugin strongly influenced Fiorenzo di Lorenzo.

Works

Città della Pieve

• Adoration of the Magi (1504) in the oratory of S.Maria dei Bianchi
• Baptême of Christ in the cathedral
• Madonna in Gloria E Santi in the cathedral
• Deposition in the church S.Maria dei Servi
• S.Antonio Abate will tra I S. Marcello E Paolo Eremita in the church Saint Pierre

Rome

• Art gallery of the Museums of the Vatican:
• Virgin in the child and Saint Laurent, Holy Ludovic of Toulouse, Herculanus and Constant (Retable of Decemviri), (1495 - 1496), fatty Peinture with moderated on wood, 193 X 165 cm,
• Chapelle Sixtine:
• Given of the Saint-Pierre keys

Florence

• Pietà (1495) with the Palate Pitti

• Crucifixion (1496) in the church S. Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi

In France

• With the Museum from Louvre in Paris:
• Apollo and Mars
• Saint-Sebastien

• With the museum of the Art schools with Caen:

• the marriage of the Virgin

• With the museum of the Art schools of Nancy:

• the Virgin, the Jesus Child and holy Jean

• With the Museum of Augustins of Toulouse:

• Midsummer's Day the Evangelist and Saint-Augustin (started from a Retable ordered for the chapter of Augustins of Perugia in 1502, dismembered in 1683)

• With the Museum of the Art schools of Lyon:

• our Heavenly Father in glory
• the Rise of Christ

With the the United States

• Art Institute off Chicago:
• Lamentation with the foot of the Cross , Oil on wood, (v. 1500).
• the Worship of the Child Jesus (Scenes of the life of Christ), Moderated on wood, (between 1500 and 1505)

Some other works of Pérugin