Girolamo dai Libri

Girolamo dai Libri (1474/1475 – July 2, 1555) was an Italian illuminator of manuscripts and painter of altarpieces, working in an early Renaissance style. He learned the art from his father Francesco dai Libri, a skilled illuminator, but most likely also attended the workshop of Domenico Morone, where he formed a friendship with Morone's son Francesco, with whom he later collaborated on several commissions as an adult. Already at a young age he distinguished himself in the production of miniatures, especially for the convent of Santa Maria in Organo in Verona. According to the account of Giorgio Vasari, he astonished his contemporaries when, at about 25 years of age, he painted for the same church the altarpiece Deposition from the Cross, a work deeply influenced by the style of Andrea Mantegna. This influence is also evident in his later works, which additionally show echoes of the Venetian models of Bellini and Montagna. Starting in the 1510s, his paintings were further enriched by Lombard-Roman influences introduced to the city by Giovan Francesco Caroto. A distinctive feature of his work is the landscape background framing the main scenes, rendered with meticulous attention to...