Background
Mariotto Albertinelli was born on the 13th of October, 1474 in Florence as the son of a gold beater. He was an only child and his mother died when he was just five years old.
Mariotto Albertinelli was born on the 13th of October, 1474 in Florence as the son of a gold beater. He was an only child and his mother died when he was just five years old.
Mariotto Albertinelli was himself trained as a gold beater until the age of 12 when he became a pupil of Cosimo Rosselli and a fellow-pupil with Fra Bartolomeo.
In 1494 Mariotto and Fra Bartolomeo started a joint studio in Florence. After a while Albertinelli had mastered Fra Bartolommeo’s technique to such extent that he could paint in a style that blended with that of his partner. The closeness in style was such that for many years some doubts remained over who had painted certain works. For example, the Kress tondo now in the Columbia Museum of Art was given to Fra Bartolommeo but is now thought to be the work of Albertinelli using the former's cartoon.
His early works were small paintings destined for the homes of sophisticated patrons. He produced these works independently of Fra Bartolommeo and as a result they are stylistically distinguishable. Piero di Cosimo who worked in Cosimo Rosselli’s workshop introduced Albertinelli to Flemish techniques.
Albertinelli then worked as an independent painter. He received various commissions including in 1503 for the high altarpiece for the Chapel of Congregazione di San Martino (later Church of Santa Elisabetta) in Florence (now in the Uffizi). The central panel depicts the Visitation and the predella the Circumcision, the Adoration of the Child and the Annunciation.
In 1509 Albertinelli and Fra Bartolommeo, who had resumed painting, entered again into a partnership. Their partnership was on an equal footing and entitled each to half the profit of a shared commission. The partnership was dissolved in January 1513.
Mariotto Albertinelli was married to Antonia.