Benozzo Gozzoli
By: Skylar Ware
his life
Gozzoli was born in 1420 in Florence, Italy. Throughout his life he created mainly paintings and sculpted and drew rarely as well. Although he spent most of his life in Florence, he did travel to pursue his dreams and learn from other brilliant artists. Gozzoli became the great renaissance artist he was through training. He learned from Ghiberti and Fra Angelico. He also had many patrons throughout his life that influenced his artistic knowledge, including Pope Nicholas V, The Medici's, and the commune of Pisa. He used what he learned from them throughout his whole career to work on magnificent pieces of art. Bozzoli was very religious and many of his paintings reflected that, he showed religious ideals and stories through his art. Classicism and Naturalism were the two renaissance ideals that Gozzoli used in most of his paintings. His works are very symmetrical and incorporate architecture into them while also having a natural appearance. His paintings are mostly landscape or still life and natural tones are always in his pieces.
about the piece
Scenes from the life of Saint Francis: the Miracle of the Creche at Greccio was created in 1452, and you can still see it today in San Francesco, Montefalco, Italy. This painting was painted using the most difficult style of painting in that era, fresco. The painting shows religion in it which relates back to Gozzoli and his lifestyle. Classicism is the most noticeable renaissance ideal in this piece, there is renaissance architecture involved such as the arches and columns. It is also symmetrical and very elegant but simplified. I find this piece very interesting because of the intricate detail it displays and the emotion shown by everyone in the painting. The emotions of the people complete the painting, because the birth of life affects everyone in a positive way. I also love how there is a frame around the artwork that really attracts your eye right to the center. The painting has many architectural patterns and structures as well which complete the painting.