Bernardino Campi Biography
Bernardino Campi (1522 - 1591) was one of the most representative artists of Mannerism in northern Italy.
His artistic debut in Cremona with the frescoes in the church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo shows the influence of Parmigianino's lucid, elegant and sophisticated mannerism. In 1550 he moved to Milan where he made himself known as a portraitist and decorator.
Bernardino Campi painted several altarpieces and frescoes in many churches in the area, including the Madonna and Saints of Sant'Antonio Abate and the Presentation for the New Church of Caronno Pertusella. The Crucifixion in the parish church of San Bassiano in Pizzighettone is a splendid testimony to the artist's mannerism. In Milan, the Trivulzio family commissioned frescoes with the stories of the Creation for the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, including the Madonna and Child and the saints Paolo, Barbara and Giovannino, which can still be found today in the chapel now dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.
In 1570 he painted the fresco of the dome of the Milan Cathedral and worked on a group of canvases for the Cremona Cathedral.
In the years between 1582 and 1584, Campi worked for Vespasiano Gonzaga at the Palazzo del Giardino in Sabbioneta, where he painted numerous decorations. After Sabbioneta, he moved to Guastalla to fresco the castle of the Gonzaga family and subsequently to Reggio Emilia to paint the church of San Prospero. Among the artist's most renowned works are the "Virile Portrait", preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and the "Presentation at the Temple", preserved in the Civic Museum of Cremona, which are characterized by their dazzling colors and excellent state of conservation.
