A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF
rxmdon. Ycthorough C. Half-leugth of a man at a
window {dated MDXVi),
Turin. Galltry. Amiuuciation.
Windsor. Castle. Portrait of the Factor of Pier
Francesco de' Medici.
BIGNON, Franqois, a French engraver, who was born in Paris about the year 1620. He was principally employed on portraits, which he gener- ally executed with the graver, though he occa- sionally called in the assistance of the point. His style is neat, but there is a want of harmony in the effect of his prints. Some of his portraits are ornamented with borders, with small emblematical figures, &c. We have by him . St. Margaret ; after JV. Pmissin. Thirty - three Portraits of the Plenipoteutiarips as- sembled at the Peace of Miiuster ; after Z. Heince. Published iu 1648. Twenty-seven Portraits of illustrious Frenchmen ; after the pictures by Z. Heince in the gallery of Cardinal Richelieu. Published in 1650.
BIGORDI Family, The.
TOMMASO BIGORDI. Domenico di Tommaso Davide di Tonimaso Henedetto di Torama.so (HIS— Uil4). (1452—1525). (145S- U37). Rldolfo di Domenico (1463—1501). Micliele di Kidolfo (fl. ab, 156S).
BIGORDI, Benedetto (di Tommaso), called also Benedetto del Ghirlandaio, was a brother and pupil of Domenico, and was born at Florence in 1458. He frequently assisted his brother in his WL^rks, and completed some which he left un- finished at his death. Benedetto was also known as a miniature painter. He died at Florence in 1497. The following are his principal works: Berlin. Museum. Eesurrection of Christ (executed i» conjunction with Davide, after the desifjn of Domenico Bigor'di), part of an altar-piece painted for Santa Maria Novella, Florence. Florence. 5. Ma,-ia | g^ Lucia. Paris. Louvre. Christ bearing the Cross.
BIGORDI, Davide (di Tommaso), or Davide del GilIELAXDAio, who was born at Florence in 1452, was chiefly employed in assisting his brother Domenico ; and, with Benedetto, completed some of his unfinishe(l works. Davide also practised as a mosaicist at Orvieto, Siena, and at Florence, where he died in 1525.
BIGORDI, Domenico, whose full name seems to have been Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi, is generally called Ghirlandaio (or in the Florentine dialect Grillandaio, in which manner he sometimes signed his works), or 'The Garlandmaker,' an epithet probably derived from his father's profession. He was the son of a gold- smith and broker in Florence, and was born there in 1449. In his early years he probably followed his father's business, but afterwards entered the studio of Alessio Baldovinetti, and became one of the most distinguished artists of his time — both as a mosaicist and a painter. His design w^as rnore correct and graceful than was usual in his time, and the expression of his heads is superior to that of any painter who had preceded him. His earliest remaining frescoes are those in the Church and Refectory of Ognissanti, which are dated 1480, and represent St. Jerome, and the ' Last Supper.' Soon afterwards he commenced his labours at the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, in 1481. where a fresco of the ' Glory of St. Zanobius ' and other subjects still remain. He was called to Rome by Sixtus IV. in 1483, to aid in the decoration of the Sistine Chapel, where he painted ' The Call of SS. Peter and Andrew,' which still remains ; and ' The Resur- rection,' which has perished. Previous to 1485 he decorated the Cappella San Fina in the Duomo of Gimignano with frescoes, representing different events in the life of that saint, which are remark- able for their beauty and grandeur of treatment. In the year 1485 he completed the decorations of the Sassetti Chapel in the church of Santa Trinity, Florence: these consist of portraits of Francesco Sassetti and his wife Nera; a series of classical subjects, and six subjects from the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The altar-piece he finished for this chapel with the ' Adoration of the Shepherds,' is now in the Academy of Arts, Florence. His next, and his most important commission, was that given him by Giovanni Tomabuoni to adorn the choir of Santa Maria Novella. These frescoes, which are Bigordi's master-pieces, consist of four courses of designs on the three walls of the choir, and represent — ' St. Francis before the Soldan,' and ' The Death of St. Peter, Martyr; ' eight subjects drawn from the life of St. John the Baptist ; and thirteen taken from the life of the Virgin. In these beautiful and wonder- ful designs will be found twenty-one portraits of members of the Sassetti and Medici families, his own portrait and those of his assistant Sebastiano Mainardi, and of Baldovinetti. After the comple- tion of the above immense work, Domenico painted by order of Lorenzo de' Medici, the ' Christ in Glory, adored by SS. Romualdo, Benedict, Attinia, and Greciniana,' for the Badia of Volterra, where it still remains. In 1488 he finished the ' Adoration of the Magi,' for the church of the Innocenti, Florence, in which picture is his own portrait. The latest known picture by Ghirlandaio is the ' Visit- ation of the Virgin,' dated 1491, and now in the Louvre. He died at Florence in 1494. He was the founder of an eminent school, and will ever be remembered as the instructor of Michelangelo.
The following are some of his best works:
Florence. ^carfemy. ,. Innocenti. „ Ognissanti. Lucca. Muiiicb Uffizi. »» 5. Martina. Vinakothek, Narui. Piiria. Louvre. »» i» Pisa. Gallery. „ St. Anna. Kiuiiui. Gallery. S- Gimignano. CAurcA
lAiQrT&.S.Franctsco.
Adoration of the Shepherds. 1485. Madonna with four Saints. Adoration of the Kings. 1483. The Last Supper {fresco). St. Jerome (/;«(0). 1480. Adoration of the Magi. 1487. Madonna and Saints. Madonna and Saints. (i) Madonna and Child with the two St. Johns, St. Domiuick, and St.' Michael, (ii) St. Catharine of Siena, (iii) St. Lawrence { part of an altar- piece executed from designs by Domenico for Santa Maria Novella, Florence : the exterior wings, finished by Davide and Benedetto Bigordi and Francesco Granaeci, after Domenico's death, are in the Berlin Museum). Coronation. Visitation, MCCCCLXssxi, Old Man and a Key. S.S. Sebastian and Koch. Iiladonna and Saints. Three Saints. .Annunciation (fresco). Christ adored by Saints.
BIGORDI, Michele (di Ridolfo). who painted at Florence about 15C8, died at the age of 75. A 'Holy Family' by him is in the Pitti Palace.
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