Giovanni Battista Crespi

Giovanni Battista Crespi (born c. 1567/69, Cerano, near Novara, duchy of Milan [Italy]—died c. Oct. 23, 1632, Milan) was one of the chief Lombard painters of the 17th century, whose work is important in the early development of Lombard realism.

In 1586 Crespi went to Rome, where he stayed until 1595. While in Rome he formed a friendship with the Milanese cardinal, Federigo Borromeo, who became his patron and with whom he returned to Milan, then an important cultural centre and also, under the inspiration of the cardinal’s uncle, Archbishop Charles Borromeo, a centre of fervent spiritual revival in art. Crespi formed a style that was Mannerist in its use of colour—with an emphasis on pale, silvery tones—and in the mystical languidness of his figures. At the same time, his figures have a solidity and immediacy that move beyond Mannerism, and they are portrayed as unidealized types with realistic detail. All Crespi’s works are characterized by an intense, often agonized spirituality. He executed several important church commissions, including a series of paintings of the life of St. Charles Borromeo for Milan Cathedral that was completed in 1610, a “Baptism of St. Augustine” for San Marco in Milan (1618), and a “Mass of St. Gregory” for the Basilica of San Vittore in Varese (1615–17), which, with its boldly unconventional composition, is reminiscent of the late 16th-century Venetian painter Tintoretto. Crespi’s paintings from 1610 to 1620 are particularly impressive for their simplicity and for the humanization of the religious experiences that they portray; an example is “The Madonna of the Rosary” (c. 1615; Brera, Milan).

In 1620 Cardinal Borromeo appointed Crespi director of the academy of painting that he had founded in Milan and in 1629 made him supervisor of the decorations for the cathedral. Crespi was also active as an architect, engraver, and writer.

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