Sodoma
Italian·1477–1549
Renaissance painter Il Sodoma (Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, 1477-1549) was the leading artist in Siena during the early 16th century, creating works that bridge the High Renaissance and Mannerism. Born in Vercelli, Piedmont, to a shoemaker, he apprenticed with G.M. Spanzotti before being deeply influenced by Leonardo da Vinci and later by Raphael. Invited to Siena in 1501, he spent the bulk of his career there, developing a style noted for sensuous depictions of the human form and exaggerated, almost mystical emotionalism.
In 1505, Sodoma began frescoes at the Olivetan monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, painting 26 scenes from the life of Saint Benedict, continuing a cycle begun by Luca Signorelli. His success led to a 1508 invitation to Rome by banker Agostino Chigi, where Pope Julius II employed him in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura. Though Raphael later worked on the same ceiling, he left some of Sodoma's decorations intact. The Marriage of Alexander and Roxane (c. 1516) in the Villa Farnesina is often considered his decorative masterpiece. Back in Siena, his frescoes for San Domenico, including Vision of St. Catherine and Execution of Nicolò di Tuldo, rank among his finest work. Paintings hang at the National Gallery in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington (Saint George Slaying the Dragon), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena. His religious subjects display the emotional intensity that anticipated Baroque painting.
Notable Works by Sodoma
1 painting catalogued with museum locations
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About Sodoma
Sodoma worked during the transition from High Renaissance to Mannerism, developing a graceful style influenced by Leonardo da Vinci's soft modeling and Raphael's classical compositions. Born in Vercelli, Piedmont, in 1477, he trained under the 'archaic' Martino Spanzotti before moving to Siena, which became his artistic home for most of his career.
Works hang at the National Gallery in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena. The Villa Farnesina in Rome preserves his celebrated Marriage of Alexander and Roxana fresco. San Domenico church in Siena displays his Vision of St. Catherine.
His Life of Saint Benedict cycle at Monte Oliveto Maggiore monastery near Siena, begun in 1505 as a continuation of Luca Signorelli's earlier work, ranks among his finest achievements. His Marriage of Alexander and Roxana at the Villa Farnesina in Rome, painted alongside Peruzzi, is sometimes considered his masterpiece for its graceful figures.
Yes, Pope Julius II employed him in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura in 1508, where he executed two compositions and ceiling decorations. Raphael soon replaced him on the project, though he preserved some of Sodoma's ceiling work. Sienese banker Agostino Chigi brought Sodoma to Rome to work at Villa Farnesina around the same time.
Giovanni Antonio Bazzi was his birth name. The nickname 'Il Sodoma' was given to him, apparently referring to his lifestyle, and he used it himself without apparent shame. Vasari reported he kept a menagerie of exotic animals and used the nickname openly. He died on February 14, 1549, in Siena.
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