Girolamo Genga

Background

Genga was born in a region near Urbino.

Career

According mainly to Giorgio Vasari's biography, by age thirteen Genga had gained an apprenticeship in Orvieto under Luca Signorelli. He was afterwards for three years with Pietro Perugino, in company with Raphael. He next worked in Florence and Siena (where he decorated the Petrucci palace c 1508), along with Timoteo della Vite.

And in the latter city he painted various compositions for Pandolfo Petrucci, a leading local statesman. Returning to Urbino, he was employed by Duke Guidobaldo da Montefeltro in the decorations of his palace, and showed extraordinary aptitude for theatrical adornments. He is recorded as having helped design the decorations for the Duke's funeral in 1508.

From Urbino, he went to Rome and painted in the church of Santa Caterina da Siena one of his masterpieces: The Resurrection. This prince was soon afterwards expelled by Pope Leo X, and Genga followed him to Mantua. When Della Rovere regained Pesaro, he had Genga reconstruct a former castle into a suburban villa, known as the Villa Imperiale This semi-rural retreat was refurbished from c.

1530 onwards. Its sunken court is the direct precedent for the more famous one at Villa Giulia, Rome, For the fresco decoration of the interior, Genga recruited a number of major Mannerist painters, including Francesco Menzocchi, Bronzino, Dosso Dossi, and Raffaellino dal Colle. The duke of Urbino was eventually restored to his dominions. He took Genga with him, and appointed him the ducal architect and decorator.

He worked extensively on the Villa Imperiale on Mount Accio. Among his work in Urbino, was the scenography of plays, for example, Castiglione described the sumptuous decoration (presumably Genga's) of the performance of Bibbiena’s La Calandria in Urbino on 6 February 1513. Genga was a sculptor as well as a musician.

There are few extant paintings by Genga. Among his architectural works are the church of San Giovanni Battista in Pesaro. The bishop's palace at Senigallia.

The façade of the Mantua cathedral. And fortifications near Pesaro. Genga retired to a house in the vicinity of Urbino, continuing still to produce designs in pencil.

Achievements

• In Genga's paintings there is a great deal of freedom, and a certain peculiarity of character consonant with his versatile, lively and social temperament. One of his leading works is in the church of S. Agostino in Cesena-a triptych in oil-colours, representing the "Annunciation, " "God the Father in Glory, " and the "Madonna and Child. "

Connections

Son:

Bartolommeo