Filippino Lippi was born in 1457 at Prato, later establishing himself as a significant figure in the Italian Renaissance. Throughout a career primarily centered in Florence, he produced influential frescoes and religious panels that bridged the late Early Renaissance and the early High Renaissance. His development of a personal, distinctively evocative style marked a departure from his initial training.
Early Training and Influences
Trained first in the workshop of his father, Fra Filippo Lippi, he gained early experience assisting with cathedral frescoes in Spoleto. Following his father's death in 1469, he completed his apprenticeship under Sandro Botticelli. During this formative period, his work often mirrored that of his master, with both artists producing numerous Madonna and Child compositions that remain challenging to distinguish today.
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Lippi rose to prominence with high-profile projects, including his completion of Masaccio’s work at the Brancacci Chapel in Florence. His contributions included the Stories of Saint Peter, featuring depictions of religious conflict. Later, he received prestigious commissions such as the decoration of the Carafa Chapel in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, as well as the Strozzi family chapel in Santa Maria Novella, which he finished in 1503.
Style and Artistic Evolution
Over time, Lippi moved away from his early, more derivative style to develop a personal aesthetic characterized by elongated figures and phantasmagorical settings. Influenced by his observations of the Grottesco style in Rome, he incorporated intricate details of the ancient world. His work often depicted dramatic, disquieting scenes, reflecting the period's religious and political tensions.
Final Years
Lippi’s career spanned various regions of Italy, including work at the Certosa di Pavia and the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna. By 1503, he completed the Tabernacle of the Christmas Song in Prato. His final undertaking, a Deposition for the Santissima Annunziata in Florence, remained incomplete at the time of his death in 1504.
Fast facts
- Born: 1457, Prato
- Died: 1504, Florence
- Movement: Italian Renaissance
- Primary medium: Oil, tempera, and fresco
- Notable work: The Vision of Saint Bernard
- Notable work: The Adoration of the Kings
- Notable work: The Penitent Saint Jerome in the Wilderness
- Notable work: Three Angels and Young Tobias
Questions readers ask
Where did Filippino Lippi work?
He worked primarily in Florence, with significant periods in Rome, and additional projects in Bologna and the Milan area.
Was Filippino Lippi related to other painters?
Yes, he was the son of the painter Fra Filippo Lippi.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Disputation with Simon Magus and the Crucifixion of Peter
- Notable work: The Vision of Saint Bernard
- Notable work: Three Angels and Young Tobias
- Notable work: Madonna with Child, St Anthony of Padua, and a Friar
- Movement: Italian Renaissance
