Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, known as Il Sodoma, navigated the shift from provincial artistic traditions to the High Renaissance style of early 16th-century Rome. Born in Vercelli in 1477, he developed a career defined by his integration of Lombard colouring and Leonardesque mannerisms, establishing himself as a significant figure within the Sienese school before his death in 1549.
Early Training and Arrival in Siena
Bazzi studied under Martino Spanzotti and Giovenone, absorbing the techniques of the Lombard school. By 1503, he had relocated to Siena, potentially following contacts with the Spannocchi family. His early professional engagements included fresco cycles for the Olivetan monks at the Monte Oliveto Maggiore monastery, where he completed a series illustrating the life of St Benedict originally begun by Luca Signorelli. During this period, he incorporated a self-portrait featuring badgers and ravens into his work.
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The merchant Agostino Chigi facilitated Bazzi's movement to Rome in 1508. He worked for Pope Julius II in the Vatican’s Stanza della Segnatura, creating compositions alongside Raphael. Later, at the Villa Chigi, now the Villa Farnesina, Bazzi collaborated with Baldassarre Peruzzi. He painted scenes from the life of Alexander the Great, including the nuptials of the conqueror with Roxanne. When Leo X assumed the papacy in 1513, Bazzi presented the pontiff with a painting depicting the death of Lucretia, for which he was granted a significant payment and the title of cavaliere.
Stilistic Evolution and Later Career
Upon returning to Siena before October 1510, Bazzi executed monochrome chiaroscuro murals on the exterior of Palazzo Chigi. His evolving style increasingly reflected the influence of Fra Bartolommeo. Among his notable later works are the 1526 frescoes in the chapel of St. Catherine of Siena at the church of San Domenico, depicting the saint in ecstasy. During the 1530s, he produced scenes from the history of the Virgin in the Oratory of San Bernardino in collaboration with Girolamo del Pacchia and Domenico di Pace Beccafumi.
Identity and Nickname
The artist acquired the moniker Il Sodoma by 1512. Historian Giorgio Vasari recorded the nickname, claiming it stemmed from the painter's preference for the company of young, beardless men. Vasari also noted that Bazzi appeared to embrace the label, writing songs about it. Throughout his life, he was also called Mattaccio, or the madman, by the monks of Monte Oliveto.
Fast facts
- Born: 1477, Vercelli
- Died: 14 February 1549, Siena
- Movement: Renaissance, Sienese school
- Primary medium: Painting
- Known nickname: Il Sodoma
- Title: Cavaliere
- Notable work: The wedding of Alexander the Great and Roxane
- Notable work: St. Sebastian
Questions readers ask
Why was he known as Il Sodoma?
Giorgio Vasari attributed the nickname to the painter's social habits and his preference for the company of young men.
Did he work with other famous artists?
Yes, he executed work in the Vatican simultaneously with Raphael and collaborated with Baldassarre Peruzzi and Domenico di Pace Beccafumi.
Achievements
- Notable work: Terrestrial Venus with Eros and Celestial Venus with Anteros and Two Cupids
- Notable work: Man of Sorrows
- Notable work: The wedding of Alexander the Great and Roxane
- Notable work: Saints Victor and Ansanus
- Movement: Renaissance and Sienese school
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