Moroni, GIOVANNI BATTISTA

Moroni, GIOVANNI BATTISTA, painter, was born at Albino, near Bergamo, about 1510, and was a pupil of Il Moretto of Brescia (1498–1555), whose real name was Alessandro Bonvicino; both these men excelled as portrait-painters. Indeed, of the North Italians, Moroni ranks next to Titian, who greatly admired his portraits. The attitudes in Moroni's pictures are easy and natural, the draperies well managed, and the predominant tone of colour is silvery. An excellent example of his style is the 'Tailor' in the National Gallery, London, where there are also four other portrait-pieces from his brush. Moroni likewise painted sacred subjects of the usual types, now in the Brera at Milan, at Bergamo, at Verona, and other places in North Italy. He died 5th February 1578.