Born in Padua, the leading center of humanism in northern Italy, Andrea Mantegna, in true humanist fashion, attained a knowledge of classical Antiquity and Roman archaeology. At an early age, he apprenticed under Fransesco Squarcione, an avid studier of ancient Roman arts and sculpture. Being a favorite pupil of Squarcione, Mantegna no doubt was encouraged to study ancient Roman sculpture, as was evident in the sculptural style of his paintings, with their stony figures and metallic landscapes. Studying while Donatello and Paolo Uccello were in town led Mantegna to delve into the new developments of perspective and other styles. The best example of his skill with perspective can be seen in the Camera degli Sposi with its sotto in su illusion.
His first major work was for the frescoes of the Ovetari Chapel of the Eremetani church in Padua, which he worked on as part of a group of several painters but finished most of the work alone. These frescoes show his skill of expressing classical motifs along with a mastery of foreshortening. One of the most dramatic examples of this effect as well as most dramatic in all of the frescoes is the worm’s-eye view of Saint Led To His Execution, which creates a large and prominent setting.
Andrea Mantegna moved away from Padua at a young age most likely following a dispute with his former teacher, who he later claimed had stolen some of his works and taken credit for. He moved to Mantua and answered a call by Duke Ludovico II to take the job of court painter in the House of Gonzaga. He executed the Camera degli Sposi with a style which was later emulated by Correggio and predicted Baroque design. During this time he executed the first Saint Sebastian and completed some architectural designs and decorations. While as court painter, Mantegna would radically change the artistic style of the court. He changed the style from Gothic fantastical to humanist, with an emphasis on archaeology and perspective. His interest in archaeology would be seen when the Ludovico II Gonzaga commissioned nine large canvasses to represent the triumphs of Caesar.
The Dead Christ (seen above) shows Mantegna’s excellent use of foreshortening with the dramatic view of the dead body from the feet. It was painted toward the end of his life around 1500 and was most likely meant for his own funerary chapel. It is remarkable not only for the composition with its extreme foreshortening, but it is also one of the few works on canvas of the time. The highly detailed corpse shows the wounds of the crucified Christ. The body dominates the majority of the pictorial space with the mourners barely visible tucked away in the corner. The colors are very somber and dead. It is a fantastic and sad painting, marking the end of a dark period in his life after the recent banishment of his son, and his own inevitable demise.
Andrea Mantegna would later highly influence artists like Correggio especially with his ceiling designs, which were used for centuries to come. Other artists were inspired by his works, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer, as well as his brother-in-law Giovanni Bellini. When Mantegna died, the Gonzaga court went into mourning, and received tributes from all over Italy which, along with the acclaim, were more than any artist had received before.
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