Mary Magdalene

Alessandro Bonvicino, known as Moretto da Brescia, was a prominent Italian painter of the Renaissance, born between 1492 and 1495 in Brescia, where he spent most of his life and career. He hailed from a family of modest artists, with his father Pietro and uncle Alessandro both being painters, which undoubtedly influenced his early exposure to the arts. Moretto is celebrated as one of the three great masters of the early Brescian Renaissance, alongside Romanino and Savoldo, contributing significantly to the cultural and artistic landscape of his time. His early life in Brescia is documented through various civic and artistic engagements, including his participation in the Scuola del Santissimo Sacramento del duomo and the Collegio generale dei pittori di Brescia by 1517, indicating his established status as a citizen and artist by his early twenties. Moretto's work is characterized by its devout religious themes, reflective of the Counter-Reformation's influence, and his mastery of color and light, which drew from Venetian painting traditions. Despite the lack of extensive personal records, his legacy is preserved through his contributions to Brescian art, with his death occurring in Brescia between November 9 and December 22, 1554.