Lorenzo Lotto

Possible self-portrait, attributed to Lorenzo Lotto, 1540s, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Years of life:	1480 – 1556
Art Movement:	High Renaissance
Painting School:	Venetian School

Genre:	Portrait , Religious
Country:	Italy
Century:	XVI

A less significant and unevenly worked Venetian painter. He traveled extensively. He died abandoned and forgotten.

His portraits, altarpieces, and allegories are rich in color and splendor but overloaded with details and strange proportional ratios. He failed to achieve unity of composition. He was influenced by many of his contemporaries, but could not organically absorb borrowed techniques so that his work can look like a mishmash of everyone else, even coming close to caricature.

Portraits, especially conjugal double portraits, were his best work. They are distinguished by an attention to the model, cordiality, the careful transfer of gestures and facial expressions. There is uncertain anatomy in his works, but good landscape details and bold modeling with light. Note the magnificent oriental carpets in his paintings. He was admired by Bernard Berenson, who made a detailed study of his work.

Lorenzo Lotto’s major works are The Annunciation, 1520s (Recanati, Italy: Church of Sta Maria sopra Mercanti); St. Catherine, c. 1522 (Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art).

References:

Robert Cumming. Art: complete encyclopedia. – 512 p. – Moscow: Astrel, 2005.

Artworks:

Altar polyptych by Recanati, left wing: St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Flavian

1508

Altar polyptych by Recanati, left wing: St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Flavian • 1508
Polyptych of Ponteranica

1525

Polyptych of Ponteranica • 1525
San Francesco al Monte Altarpiece

1526

San Francesco al Monte Altarpiece • 1526
Triumph of Chastity

1530

Triumph of Chastity • 1530
The Holy Family with St. John the Baptist

between 1536 and 1537

The Holy Family with St. John the Baptist • between 1536 and 1537
The Physician Giovanni Agostino della Torre and his Son, Niccolò

The Physician Giovanni Agostino della Torre and his Son, Niccolò
Portrait of a Man

1510

Portrait of a Man • 1510
Recanati Polyptych

between 1506 and 1508

Recanati Polyptych • between 1506 and 1508
Pietà

1532-1550s

Pietà • 1532-1550s
St Lucy before the Judge

1532

St Lucy before the Judge • 1532
Santa Cristina al Tiverone Altarpiece

between circa 1504 and circa 1506

Santa Cristina al Tiverone Altarpiece • between circa 1504 and circa 1506
Altarpiece of the Halberd

1532-1550s

Altarpiece of the Halberd • 1532-1550s
Mystical Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria with Niccoló Bonghi

1523

Mystical Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria with Niccoló Bonghi • 1523
Altarpiece of the Halberd

1532-1550s

Altarpiece of the Halberd • 1532-1550s
Madonna and Child with St Peter Martyr

1503

Madonna and Child with St Peter Martyr • 1503
Presumed Self-Portrait

1540s

Presumed Self-Portrait • 1540s
The Carrying of the Cross

1526

The Carrying of the Cross • 1526
Venus and Cupid

1530

Venus and Cupid • 1530
Portrait of a Jeweller

between 1509 and 1512

Portrait of a Jeweller • between 1509 and 1512
Portrait of Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children

1547

Portrait of Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children • 1547
Portrait of Febo da Brescia

1544

Portrait of Febo da Brescia • 1544
Portrait of a Man in Black Silk Cloak

1535

Portrait of a Man in Black Silk Cloak • 1535
Architect

1535

Architect • 1535
Triple Portrait of a Goldsmith (Bartolomeo Carpan?)

1525/1535

Triple Portrait of a Goldsmith (Bartolomeo Carpan?) • 1525/1535
The Annunciation

1527

The Annunciation • 1527
Transfiguration of Christ

between 1510 and 1512

Transfiguration of Christ • between 1510 and 1512
The Virgin and Child with Saints

1506

The Virgin and Child with Saints • 1506
Madonna and Child with Saints

1521

Madonna and Child with Saints • 1521
Madonna enthroned with child, angels, and saints

1521

Madonna enthroned with child, angels, and saints • 1521
Susanna and the Elders

1517

Susanna and the Elders • 1517
Madonna of the Rosary

1539

Madonna of the Rosary • 1539
Presentation of Christ in the Temple

1554-1555

Presentation of Christ in the Temple • 1554-1555
A portrait of a Man aged 37

1542

A portrait of a Man aged 37 • 1542
Portrait of a Young Man with a Lamp

1506-1508

Portrait of a Young Man with a Lamp • 1506-1508
Portrait of a young Man

1526

Portrait of a young Man • 1526
Portrait of a Young Scholar

1527

Portrait of a Young Scholar • 1527
Portrait of a nobleman with a lion's paw

1527

Portrait of a nobleman with a lion's paw • 1527
Portrait of an Old Man with Gloves

1543

Portrait of an Old Man with Gloves • 1543
Portrait of a Gentleman

1530

Portrait of a Gentleman • 1530
Portrait of a Venetian Woman as Lucrezia

1533

Portrait of a Venetian Woman as Lucrezia • 1533
Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza

1547

Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza • 1547
Portrait of Bishop Bernardo de' Rossi

1505

Portrait of Bishop Bernardo de' Rossi • 1505
Portrait of Laura da Pola

1543

Portrait of Laura da Pola • 1543
The Mystical marriage of Saint Catherine

1506-1508

The Mystical marriage of Saint Catherine • 1506-1508
Mystical marriage of Saint Catherine

1524

Mystical marriage of Saint Catherine • 1524
Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Thomas

1527

Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Thomas • 1527
Madonna with the Child and Sts Rock and Sebastian

1522

Madonna with the Child and Sts Rock and Sebastian • 1522
Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Nicholas of Tolentino

1523 - 1524

Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Nicholas of Tolentino • 1523 - 1524
Madonna with Child between Sts. Flavian and Onuphrius

1508

Madonna with Child between Sts. Flavian and Onuphrius • 1508
Saint Catherine

1522

Saint Catherine • 1522
St. Jerome in the desert

1506

St. Jerome in the desert • 1506
Saint Jerome penitent

1509-1510

Saint Jerome penitent • 1509-1510
The Nativity

1523

The Nativity • 1523
Martinengo Altarpiece

1516

Martinengo Altarpiece • 1516
St. Catherine of Siena and St. Sigismund

1508

St. Catherine of Siena and St. Sigismund • 1508
Engel Pietà

1506

Engel Pietà • 1506
St. Lucy in prayer and Farewell to St. Lucy

1532

St. Lucy in prayer and Farewell to St. Lucy • 1532
Allegory (allegory of prudence or wisdom)

1505

Allegory (allegory of prudence or wisdom) • 1505
The Alms of St. Anthony

1542

The Alms of St. Anthony • 1542
Andrea Odoni (1488-1545)

1527

Andrea Odoni (1488-1545) • 1527
Christ's farewell to Mary

1521

Christ's farewell to Mary • 1521
The Assumption

1506

The Assumption • 1506
Marsilio Cassotti and His Bride Faustina

1523

Marsilio Cassotti and His Bride Faustina • 1523
Portrait of a Young Man With a Book

1526-1527

Portrait of a Young Man With a Book • 1526-1527
Madonna and Child with Saints

1521

Madonna and Child with Saints • 1521
Allegory of Chastity

1505

Allegory of Chastity • 1505