Stradanus

Portrait of Stradanus by Hendrick Goltzius, 1591

Johannes Stradanus (Dutch Jan van der Straet or Italian Giovanni Stradano;[1][2][3] 1523 – 2 November 1605) was a Flemish artist active mainly in 16th-century Florence, Italy. He was a wide-ranging talent who worked as an easel and fresco painter, designer of tapestries, draughtsman, designer of prints and pottery decorator. His subject range was varied and included history subjects, mythological scenes, allegories, landscapes, genre scenes, portraits, architectural scenes and animals.[2] After training in his native Flanders, he left his home country and ultimately settled down in Florence, Italy. He became a prominent court artist to the Medici during the second half of the 16th century and worked on the many decorative projects of the court.[4] Stradanus also produced large altarpieces for the most important churches in Florence.[5]

He was a prolific designer of prints which were circulated widely throughout Europe for many centuries.[4] Through his knowledge of Florentine and Italian art and his international contacts with engravers and editors in Antwerp, Stradanus contributed to the development of printmaking.[6] He was one of the earliest members of the prominent Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti del Disegno established in Florence in 1563. Stradanus also worked on various commissions in Rome, and resided in Naples from 1576 until about 1580. Thereafter he returned to Florence, dying there in 1605.[7]

  1. ^ More name variations: Johannes Stradanus, Giovanni della Strada, Johannes della Strada, Giovanni Stradano, Johannes Stradano, Giovanni Stradanus, Johannes Stradanus, Jan van Straeten, Jan van Straten
  2. ^ a b Jan van der Straet at the Netherlands Institute for Art History (in Dutch)
  3. ^ De liggeren en andere historische archieven der Antwerpsche sint Lucasgilde van 1453–1615, edited and published by Ph. Rombouts and Th. van Lerius, Antwerp, 1872–1876, p. 153 (in Dutch)
  4. ^ a b M. Sellink, Stradanus (1523-1605), Court Artist of the Medici, Harvey Miller Publishers, 2011
  5. ^ Sandra Janssens, Jan van der Straet, alias Stradanus - Hofkunstenaar van de Medici at Tento (in Dutch)
  6. ^ "Stradanus (1523-1605), artist at the Medici court. Exhibition: 9 October 2008 – 4 January 2009". at Codart. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  7. ^ M. Leesberg, Johannes Stradanus at Hollstein