Bust from the
Louvre showing the stylized oval face typical of Laurana
'Francesco Laurana (de la Vrana)', (c. 1430 – before
12 March 1502), was an
Italian sculptor and
medallist.
Life and works
Laurana was born in Vrana, near
Zara, in the
Venetian Dalmatia (now
Zadar, in
Croatia).
After an apprenticeship under a sculptor, he began his solo career at
Naples, where he finished the triumphal arch of
Castel Nuovo for
Alfonso V of Aragon. After the death of the latter he was called to France, at the court of
René, duke of
Anjou, who commissioned a series of
medallions from him.
From 1466 to 1471 Laurana was in
Sicily. Works of this period include the Mastrantonio Chapel and the tomb of Pietro Speciale in the church of St. Francis in
Palermo, the side door of the church of St. Marguerite in
Sciacca, some ''Madonnas with Child'' in the Cathedrals of
Palermo and
Noto and a bust of
Eleanor of Aragon now in the
Palazzo Abatellis.
In 1471 he returned to Naples where he executed the sculpture of the ''Virgin'' in the Sta. Barbara Chapel. In 1474-1477 Laura spent three years in
Urbino, where his relative
Luciano Laurana worked. Then he transferred again to France, where his workshop executed the St. Lazarus altar in the Cathedral of
Marseille, the
retable of the Calvary in St. Didier d'
Avignon and the tomb of Giovanni Cossa at ''Sainte-Marthe de Tarascon'' and of Charles du Maine in
Le Mans.
Laurana died at
Marseille or Avignon, in 1502.
Overview
He was one of the most significant and most complex sculptors of the
15th century—complex because of his activities within varying cultural circles and his exposure to differing influences. His best works evolved in the workshop tradition in collaboration with other artists. His portrait
busts reveal a creative individuality that was seen as particularly fascinating in the late 19th century. Though it is impossible to chart his stylistic development, his later work made in France shows some assimilation of northern
realism, which is absent from the work executed in Italy.
External links
★
Some works in the Louvre
★
Francesco Laurana
★
2 works in Detroit
★
Biography & 1 work from the Getty
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