Andrea del Verrocchio

Early Life

Andrea del Verrocchio was born in Florence around 1435 to Michele di Francesco Cioni, who initially worked as a tile and brick maker before becoming a tax collector. Little is known about Verrocchio's early life, but it is believed he was first apprenticed to a goldsmith. There are suggestions that he may have trained under the renowned sculptor Donatello, although this is debated among scholars. It is more widely accepted that he received painting instruction from Fra Filippo Lippi.

Career

Verrocchio became a prominent figure in the Florentine art scene, establishing a workshop that attracted many talented apprentices, including the legendary Leonardo da Vinci. His workshop was a hub of artistic innovation, where several notable artists, such as Lorenzo di Credi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Francesco Botticini, honed their skills. Verrocchio's works primarily date from the last twenty years of his life, during which he received significant patronage from Lorenzo de' Medici and his son Piero. His artistic output included a variety of genres, such as portraiture, religious art, and figure studies.

Legacy

Verrocchio's influence on the next generation of artists was profound, with the Florentine poet Ugolino Verino famously stating that "Whatever painters have that is good they drank from Verrocchio's spring." At the end of his life, he opened a new workshop in Venice, where he continued to work on significant projects, including a statue that would further cement his legacy as a master artist of the Renaissance. Verrocchio passed away in 1488, leaving behind a rich artistic heritage that shaped the course of Italian art.