Andrea Pisano
An architect, goldsmith, and sculptor, Andrea Pisano (c. 1270/95-c. 1348/49) is often associated with the Cathedral at Florence, where he created the first bronze doors of the Baptistery. His work, begun in 1330 and completed in 1336, is made of 28 quatrefoils (four-lobed frames) set in the doors and shows 20 scenes from the life of John the Baptist and eight representations of the virtues. Although influenced by Giotto, the work is patterned after French designs. Pisano creates perspective in his reliefs by using few figures against a simple background and emphasizing the solidity of the rear plane. Some attribute the fineness of detail to his skill as a goldsmith. In 1337, Pisano succeeded Giotto as the chief architect of the Florentine Campanile (bell tower), to which he added two storeys and some reliefs. Pisano, whose work before 1330 is unknown, became in 1347 the master of Orvieto Cathedral; his son Nino, a sculptor, succeeded him. The work of Andrea Pisano influenced the work of Donatello and of Luca della Robbia.
Karen Rae Keck
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