Records place the birth of Michelangelo Anselmi in 1492 in the Tuscan city of Lucca, originating from a family of Langobard descent. A practitioner of the Italian Renaissance-Mannerist style, he spent the bulk of his professional career operating within Parma, leaving behind a body of work that spans several decades of the sixteenth century.
Early Training in Siena
By approximately 1500, Anselmi relocated to Siena. It is here that documented evidence of his career first emerges, with formal records noting his activity as a painter starting in 1511. During his time in this region, he studied under Il Sodoma and Domenico Beccafumi, acquiring the technical foundation that would later define his approach to narrative composition and fresco work.
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Around 1515, Anselmi arrived in Parma, the city that would serve as his primary base of operations for the remainder of his life. His contributions to the local landscape included major frescoes for the church of San Giovanni Evangelista and an altarpiece commissioned for the Duomo. Alongside his contemporary Rondani, he executed a series depicting the Life of the Virgin for the Oratorio della Concezione. His portfolio in the city also includes the Madonna with Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch, dated to approximately 1530, and the Holy Family with Saint Barbara, painted around 1540.
Later Commissions and Collaborations
In 1541, he received the commission to decorate the apse of the church of the Steccata in Parma. The design for this project originated with Giulio Romano, replacing the previous involvement of Parmigianino. Anselmi's later period also saw him working on an Adoration of the Magi, a piece that remained unfinished at his death in 1556 and was subsequently completed by Bernardino Gatti. His career concluded at the age of 64, leaving a legacy found in institutions ranging from the National Gallery of Parma to the Louvre in Paris.
Fast facts
- Born: 1492, Lucca
- Died: 1556, Parma
- Primary Occupations: Painter
- Style: Renaissance-Mannerist
- Notable work: Madonna in Glory with Sts. John the Baptist and Stephan
- Key associations: Il Sodoma, Domenico Beccafumi, Rondani, Giulio Romano
- Work locations: Parma, Siena
Questions readers ask
Where can Michelangelo Anselmi's works be found today?
His pieces are located in various international collections, including the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery of Parma, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.
Did Anselmi work on the Steccata church in Parma?
Yes. In 1541, he decorated the apse of the church of the Steccata following a design provided by Giulio Romano.
Achievements
- Notable work: Madonna in Glory with Sts. John the Baptist and Stephan
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