Severo Calzetta da Ravenna
Encyclopedia
Severo da Ravenna or Severo di Domenico Calzetta (active ca 1496 — ca 1543) was an Italian sculptor of the High Renaissance
and Mannerism
, who worked in Padua
, where he is likely to have finished his training, in Ferrara
and in Ravenna
, where he first appears in a document of 1496. Though Severo specialized in small bronzes, his only securely documented work is the marble St John the Baptist, signed by him, which was commissioned in 1500 for the entrance to the chapel of St Anthony in the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
, and remains in place. Though he produced religious figures, such as the Corpus from a crucifix in the Cleveland Museum of Art, his main subjects were pagan, including dragons and satyrs, and functional objects, such as inkwells, candlesticks, and oil lamps. Pomponius Gauricus mentions Severo in his chapter on bronzes in De sculptura (1504), without identifying any subjects.
A mark of his convincing style all'antica is the fact that a bronze bust of a bearded man wearing a toga in the collection of the Rijksmuseum
was long considered to be a Roman bronze. And a mark of the difficulty of attributions is the fact that it is attributed to Severo or to Tullio Lombardo
High Renaissance
The expression High Renaissance, in art history, is a periodizing convention used to denote the apogee of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance...
and Mannerism
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
, who worked in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, where he is likely to have finished his training, in Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
and in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, where he first appears in a document of 1496. Though Severo specialized in small bronzes, his only securely documented work is the marble St John the Baptist, signed by him, which was commissioned in 1500 for the entrance to the chapel of St Anthony in the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in Padua, northern Italy. Although the Basilica is visited as a place of pilgrimage by people from all over the world, it is not the titular cathedral of the city, a title belonging to the...
, and remains in place. Though he produced religious figures, such as the Corpus from a crucifix in the Cleveland Museum of Art, his main subjects were pagan, including dragons and satyrs, and functional objects, such as inkwells, candlesticks, and oil lamps. Pomponius Gauricus mentions Severo in his chapter on bronzes in De sculptura (1504), without identifying any subjects.
A mark of his convincing style all'antica is the fact that a bronze bust of a bearded man wearing a toga in the collection of the Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam or simply Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, located on the Museumplein. The museum is dedicated to arts, crafts, and history. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a substantial collection of Asian art...
was long considered to be a Roman bronze. And a mark of the difficulty of attributions is the fact that it is attributed to Severo or to Tullio Lombardo
Some works
- Neptune on a Sea Monster, c. 1500-10, bronze. Detroit Institute of Arts http://www.dia.org/the_collection/overview/viewobject.asp?objectid=61047
- Saint Christopher Carrying the Christ Child with the Globe of the World (c. 1500/1509) The two figures had become separated, and their identities unrecognized, the Christopher mistaken for an Atlas (Louvre) and the Christ Child for a boy with a ball (National Gallery), until detective work by art historian Bertrand Jestaz reunited them http://www.nga.gov/press/2003/releases/summer/stchris.shtm.
- Saint Sebastian, c 1520, bronze (National Gallery of Art, Washington DC illustration. One of nine bronzes in the National Gallery.
Further reading
- Patrick M. de Winter, 1986. "Recent Acquisitions of Italian Renaissance Decorative Arts. Part I: Incorporating Notes on the Sculptor Severo da Ravenna" The Bulletin of The Cleveland Museum of Art (March 1986).