In the mid-fifteenth century, Padua became an important training center for artists, thanks to Mantegna's early achievements and ten years in the city of Donatella. An offshoot of the Padua School was a group of artists working in Ferrara — Cosme Tura (Ok. 1431 -95). Francesco del Cossa (1435/6-77) the Hercules of Roberti (1448/55-98). Tura's characters are loaded with expression, with mannerist poses and clawed hands, generally depicted against the background of fancy architecture far from the idealized cityscapes painted by other Renaissance artists. Cossa painted sharper contours, his characters are energetic rather than theatrical, and richer colors; he also preferred the architectural background, especially ruins. Works of Roberti. mainly small size. combine Tura's pathos with an emphasis on color and Cossy line.
Also in Padua, Vincenzo Foppa from Brescia trained. (1427/30-1515/6). who later became the main figure of the Milan School. His best works are characterized by a certain compositional sublimity and subdued colors. His main follower was Ambrogio Bergognone
(1450/60-1523). / which is partly related to Certosa di Pavia. This great construction project also gave room for talented Lombrad sculptors from this period to show off., especially Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (1447-1522). of which another important work is the decoration of the Capella Colleoni in Bergamo.
Venice, as always, was largely governed by its own laws. Still in the middle of the century sculptures by Bartolomeo Buon (Ok. 1374-1464/7) and crowded boards by Michele Giympan (active 1420-62) proved further interest in late Gothic forms. Some signs of a breakthrough can be seen in the work of members of the VivarinichAntonia family (Ok. 1419-80). his brother Bartolomeo (Ok. 1430-91) and his son Alvise (Ok. 1445-1505)who gradually introduced a sense of spatial perspective and deepened the characterization of the characters. Carlo Crivelli was also associated with them. (Ok. 1430-95). One of the most innovative and individualized artists of his time, this painter left Venice, deciding to carry out orders for churches in the small towns of the Marche. His altar paintings are deliberately archaized. are characterized by a strong drawing, rich colors, extensive details and excessive decorativeness, and a typical ingredient is not organically integrated into the whole still life.
A much greater influence on the development of art was exerted by another artistic dynasty, House bellini Jacopo (Ok. 1400-70) and his sons Gentile (Ok. 1429-1507) and Giovanni (Ok. 1430-1516). The most important of them is the latter, on which many later Venetian painters were modeled. Although he was influenced by his brother-in-law Mantegna. Bellini, however, created works, whose overall effect is completely different, with soft color and drawing. He painted endless series of variations on themes such as Madonna and Child and Pieta., and yet each work has an individual stigma. In his larger altar paintings, attention is focused on the foreground, and the figures are arranged in such a way, that there is always a limiting plane on the back, not more widespread, fleeing landscape. Gentile Bellini was primarily a historical painter, who popularized the fashion for detailed images of Venetian life.
Vittore Carpaccio (1460-1523) he continued this narrative tradition and you can still see in the city two complete cycles of his works: St. Ursula in the Accademia and Saint. George and Saint. Jerome in Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni. The predilection for picturesqueness also permeates his altar paintings, on which usually fancy landscapes and magnificent Renaissance buildings are emphasized.
In the field of Venetian Renaissance sculpture, another artistic dynasty dominated. Lombardo Floor (Ok. 1438-1515) and his sons Antonio (Ok. 1458-1516) and Tulio (Ok. 1460-1532). Their strongly classical style was particularly well suited for funerary monuments., the best of which are in San Zanipolo. Members of the family were also talented creators of bas-reliefs, which is especially noticeable in the decoration of the church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
Closely associated with the Venetian school was the only major South Italian artist of the Renaissance., Antonio da Messina (Ok. 1430-79). who spent the last years of his life in this city. It was modeled mainly on the fifteenth-century / Flemish artists and thanks to the knowledge of their works he introduced oil painting in Italy. His paintings are characterized by a strong sense of pathos and the best are simple religious works, maintained in the same format as secular works.