Monday 19 September 2016

The Equestrian Statue of Bartolemeo Colleoni by Verrochio 1480 - 88

The Equestrian Statue of Bartolemeo Colleoni (1400 - 75). 
by Andrea del Verrocchio.
Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo.
Venice.
 
c. 1480 - 88.

395 cms tall excluding the pedestal.
 

 
 
 

 
Three sculptors entered a competition for the erection of this Equestrian monument - Verrocchio from Florence, Alessandro Leopardi from Venice and Bartolomeo Vellano from Padua. Verrocchio carved a wooden model of his proposed sculpture, while the others made models of wax and terracotta. The three models were exhibited in Venice in 1483 and the contract was awarded to Verrocchio. He then opened a workshop in Venice and made the final wax model which was ready to be cast in bronze, but he died in 1488, before this was completed.
Verrocchio had requested that his pupil Lorenzo di Credi, who had taken charge of his Florence workshop, should allowed to finish the statue, but the Venetian state after much delay commissioned Alessandro Leopardi to complete the project and the statue was eventually erected on a pedestal made by Leopardi in the Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo where it still stands.

Portrait of Colleoni

Giovanni Battista Moroni 
Castello Sforzesco, Milan


 

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