Why the extravagant genius of the Renaissance has not been recognized for centuries in the Homeland: “Another Venetian” by Lorenzo Lotto

Among the great Italian Renaissance artists, Lorenzo Lotto occupies a special place. More recently, this painter was in the shadow of his famous contemporaries and countrymen, for centuries remaining unrecognized even in his homeland. Meanwhile, the creative and life path of this misanthrope and non-conformist of the times of Titian, as well as the fate of some of his paintings, deserve attention, study, and often admiration.

Lorenzo Lotto was born in 1480. Italian art in those days entered the era of the High Renaissance. The main direction in painting was determined by Venetian artists, and the inhabitants of mainland Italy strove to this city to adopt the manner of eminent masters and find expression and recognition of their talent.

Despite the fact that Lotto was lucky enough to spend his childhood and youth in Venice, having received an art education there, he did not become a Venetian artist in a sense. Continue reading →