THE EARLY RENAISSANCE
The visit begins in this room, where a number of 15th-century
works from areas around Emilia and Veneto are exhibited, with the sole
exception of the painter from Foligno, Nicolò Alunno [9.9].
One very important work is undoubtedly the extraordinary Polyptych [9.2] painted by the Venetian brothers Antonio and Bartolomeo Vivarini in 1450. It exemplifies the first modest updating of late Gothic painting with the Renaissance innovations introduced by Donatello during his stay in Padova.
It was actually in Padova that Marco Zoppo from Cento completed his
training. He painted the Penitent Saint Jerome [9.6] shortly after he
painted the altarpiece in 1459 for the church of the Collegio di Spagna.
This was a prestigious commission in which the artist, at the height of
his abilities, showed his knowledge of the avant-garde models of Andrea
Mantegna and an awareness of space, light and volume that recalls the
art of Piero della Francesca.
Starting from these premises, but especially from 1463, with the
beginning of the pseudo-sovereignty of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, Bologna
flourished as an artistic centre, becoming a crossroads for foreign artists
seeking to build their reputations, and a centre that experienced the
development of its own original Renaissance.
