BAMBAIA

One project on which Bambaia certainly worked with Cristoforo Lombardo is the Arca and Altar of St Evasius in Casale Monferrato Cathedral. Originally commissioned in 1525, some elements were completed by 1536, but when work was interrupted on 22 December 1547 as a new contract was being drawn up, Bambaia had only a few months to live; the tomb was completed in 1564 by the sculptor Ambrogio Volpi (active 1563–1580).

The Virgin and Child in the centre of the altar is the work of Bambaia.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive, among them six statuettes of Apostles.

The picture shows one of the Apostles.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive, among them six statuettes of Apostles.

The picture shows one of the Apostles.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive, among them six statuettes of Apostles.

The picture shows one of the Apostles.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive, among them six statuettes of Apostles.

The picture shows one of the Apostles.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive, among them six statuettes of Apostles.

The picture shows one of the Apostles.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive, among them six statuettes of Apostles.

The picture shows one of the Apostles.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive.

The picture shows the base of the monument.

The proportion of the figure, the classical features of hair, face, and dress, and the delicate arrangement of the drapery are noteworthy.

This drawing in London is generally agreed to show the plan of the Foix monument, a great free-standing tomb consisting of an architectural structure containing the sarcophagus with the recumbent figure surrounded by Apostles and Virtues.

The design for a tomb consists of a sarcophagus, supported by four feet and an additional, central foot, in the form of a scroll, mounted on a plinth supported by eight square columns. There are twenty small figures, dressed in classical robes, mounted on the sarcophagus and surmounting the columns supporting the plinth at the base. Most of the small figures placed on the sarcophagus and on the columns at the base are drawn in pen and ink which has been strenghtened in black ink at a later date. The tomb is situated in a perspectival architectural drawing of a room or square chapel. The lines delineating the perspective have been scored out of the paper by a stylus.

This drawing in London is generally agreed to show the plan of the Foix monument, a great free-standing tomb consisting of an architectural structure containing the sarcophagus with the recumbent figure surrounded by Apostles and Virtues.

The design for a tomb consists of a sarcophagus, supported by four feet and an additional, central foot, in the form of a scroll, mounted on a plinth supported by eight square columns. There are twenty small figures, dressed in classical robes, mounted on the sarcophagus and surmounting the columns supporting the plinth at the base. Most of the small figures placed on the sarcophagus and on the columns at the base are drawn in pen and ink which has been strenghtened in black ink at a later date. The tomb is situated in a perspectival architectural drawing of a room or square chapel. The lines delineating the perspective have been scored out of the paper by a stylus.

This marble sculpture represents a Virtue, identifiable as Fortitude by her attribute, the column. It probably originally adorned a tomb monument that was later dismantled and dispersed.

From 1535 Bambaia was regularly mentioned in the records of Milan Cathedral as a sculptor in the workshop, commissioned to carve statues for one of the side doors and to instruct young apprentices. His responsibility for particular statues has not been defined. Works by Bambaia in Milan Cathedral include the grandiose marble monument to Marino Caracciolo (d. 1538), perhaps the best work of his later years, the small marble monument to Canon Giovanni Vimercati (d. 1548) and the marble altar of the Presentation of the Virgin (commissioned in 1543). He probably only provided the model for the last; he was then an old man and the marble altarpiece at the centre is noticeably different from his style.

The statues on the Caracciolo Monument represent (from left to right): St Ambrose, St Peter, Jesus resurrecting, St Paul, St Jerome. Beneath, the laying statue of the deceased, above the relief tondo of Madonna and Child can be seen.

Marino Caracciolo (1468-1538) was a Neapolitan cardinal and diplomat in the service of Emperor Charles V.

Works by Bambaia in Milan Cathedral include the grandiose marble monument to Marino Caracciolo (d. 1538), perhaps the best work of his later years, the small marble monument to Canon Giovanni Vimercati (d. 1548) and the marble altar of the Presentation of the Virgin (commissioned in 1543). He probably only provided the model for the last; he was then an old man and the marble altarpiece at the centre is noticeably different from his style.

The statues on the Caracciolo Monument represent (from left to right): St Ambrose, St Peter, Jesus resurrecting, St Paul, St Jerome. Beneath, the laying statue of the deceased, above the relief tondo of Madonna and Child can be seen.

Marino Caracciolo (1468-1538) was a Neapolitan cardinal and diplomat in the service of Emperor Charles V.

The first work generally attributed to Bambaia is the funeral monument to the Milanese poet Lancino Curzio (1460-1512), commissioned in 1513 for San Marco, Milan. Modelled on an antique funeral stele, it has mythological and allegorical figures but no religious references, despite the fact that it was intended for a church. A document of 1515 in the cathedral archives indicates that the sculptor Cristoforo Lombardo, who collaborated with Bambaia on other projects, was called in to complete the monument, though probably only the final details. Bambaia’s failure to finish the work may have been due to his absence from Milan in 1514.

This sculptural group, known as Madonna Taccioli, was commissioned for the head of the Birago sepulchre in 1522 (Milan, San Francesco Grande; now Isola Bella, Borromeo collection).

The religious attributes and position of the female figure recall ancient Roman sculptures. Although there is no record of the artists sojourn in Rome, it is certain that he had the opportunity to study classical models, assimilating the technical and poetic teachings of Michelangelo. The results of these studies are visible in the complex classical arrangement of the drapery and the effective monumental representation of the subjects. The mastery in handling the marble, overcoming the technical difficulties of the raw material with prodigious results, reaches its culmination in the representation of the skin and the almost transparent rendering of the veil. At the centre of the base is the head of the screaming Medusa, the sculptural quality of which recalls the contemporary chasing executed by Lombard goldsmiths.

Bambaia preferred small-scale works in which he was able to combine his subtle technique with the demands of a largely humanist clientele. This small marble relief is divided into the more stylistically advanced group of the Madonna and child and the old-fashioned groups of angels arranged in two tiers. The classicizing style of the former was probably executed by Bambaia while the angels were surely executed by another artist, probably belonging to his workshop.

The seated figure of the Madonna is wearing a long dress and sandals all’antica. Her soft calm features and her hairstyle also betray the use of classical sources. The small nude boy is standing in front of his mother. The classical tendency toward a calm and centralized representation is, however, interrupted by the lively movements of mother and child, creating an artistic tension.

From 1535 Bambaia was regularly mentioned in the records of Milan Cathedral as a sculptor in the workshop, commissioned to carve statues for one of the side doors and to instruct young apprentices. His responsibility for particular statues has not been defined. Works by Bambaia in Milan Cathedral include the grandiose marble monument to Marino Caracciolo (d. 1538), perhaps the best work of his later years, the small marble monument to Canon Giovanni Andrea Vimercate (d. 1548) and the marble altar of the Presentation of the Virgin (commissioned in 1543). He probably only provided the model for the last; he was then an old man and the marble altarpiece at the centre is noticeably different from his style.

The Vimercati monument in the right aisle of the cathedral is the tomb of Giovanni Andrea Vimercate or Vimercati (who died in 1548), his father and his uncle, Filippo and Nicola Vimercati (who died in 1484 and 1492, respectively). The bust of Andrea is at the top, the reliefs of Filippo and Nicola are at the bottom.

The detail shows the bust of Giovanni Andrea Vimercate.

The detail shows the relief portraits of Filippo and Nicola Vimercate.

The most demanding commission undertaken by Bambaia in the early years of his maturity was the monument to the French condottiere Gaston de Foix intended for Santa Marta, Milan. In 1517 he was working on the project with a number of assistants, but construction was interrupted owing to the difficulties of the French rulers of Milan, who had commissioned the project, and it was left unfinished when they abandoned the city in 1522. There are pieces of the monument in various collections (Ambrosiana, Milan; Museo Civico d’Arte Antica, Turin; Victoria and Albert Museum, London), but the nucleus, including the effigy, is in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. A drawing in London (Victoria and Albert Museum) is generally agreed to show the plan of the Foix monument, a great free-standing tomb consisting of an architectural structure containing the sarcophagus with the recumbent figure surrounded by Apostles and Virtues.

The narrative reliefs may have been designed for the upper part, as in the tomb of Gian Galeazzo Visconti by Giovanni Cristoforo Romano (1493-97; Museo della Certosa, Pavia), but the artist also must have known the contemporary tomb of the French king Louis XII in Saint-Denis Abbey.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin. The reliefs were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. With their corselets and shields, their drums and pikes, their helmets and pennants, their cannon and brands, their lithe athletic figures bearing the spoils of war, these pilasters are some of the most notable carvings from the tomb.

The picture shows a carving from a pilaster.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin. The reliefs were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. With their corselets and shields, their drums and pikes, their helmets and pennants, their cannon and brands, their lithe athletic figures bearing the spoils of war, these pilasters are some of the most notable carvings from the tomb.

The picture shows a carving from a pilaster.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin. The reliefs were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. With their corselets and shields, their drums and pikes, their helmets and pennants, their cannon and brands, their lithe athletic figures bearing the spoils of war, these pilasters are some of the most notable carvings from the tomb.

The picture shows a carving from a pilaster.

Gaston de Foix, the co-governor of Milan died at the Battle of Ravenna on April 11, 1512, less than a year after taking office. The French royal house immediately seized upon the occasion of his death to commission an extravagant tomb monument exalting his accomplishments and celebrating French rule in Milan. The project was commissioned from Agostino Busti, known as Il Bambaia, who had been trained in the somewhat precious manner of the Pavia workshops. It called for an idealized effigy, as well as a great number of highly-detailed historical reliefs in marble to be set within a free-standing architectural framework.

From 1535 Bambaia was regularly mentioned in the records of Milan Cathedral as a sculptor in the workshop, commissioned to carve statues for one of the side doors and to instruct young apprentices. His responsibility for particular statues has not been defined. Works by Bambaia in Milan Cathedral include the grandiose marble monument to Marino Caracciolo (d. 1538), perhaps the best work of his later years, the small marble monument to Canon Giovanni Vimercati (d. 1548) and the marble altar of the Presentation of the Virgin (commissioned in 1543). He probably only provided the model for the last; he was then an old man and the marble altarpiece at the centre is noticeably different from his style.

The marble altar of the Presentation of the Virgin is in the right transept of the Cathedral.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral processio of Gaston de Foiy

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Capture of Brescia.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral procession of Gaston de Foix

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Battle of Ravenna.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral procession of Gaston de Foix

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Funeral procession of Gaston de Foix.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral procession of Gaston de Foix

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Entry of the French Forces into Bologna.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral procession of Gaston de Foix

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Departure of the French from Bologna.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral procession of Gaston de Foix

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Battle of Isola della Scala.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. The most important are seven reliefs illustrating the career of Gaston de Foix which are now in Turin and represent:

1. Capture of Brescia

2. Battle of Ravenna

3. Funeral processio of Gaston de Foiy

4. Entry of the French Forces into Bologna

5. Departure of the French from Bologna

6. Battle of Isola della Scala

7. Death of Gaston de Foix

All of the seven surviving scenes illustrate events from the campaign of 1511-12. They are enclosed in foliated borders and were originally separated from each other by carved pilasters. Each relief pulsates with innumerable figures that are so fully carved that the entire foreground seems composed of freely modeled statuettes. Landscape settings and intricately entwined figures rival the complexity of even the most remarkable of earlier Lombard reliefs.

The picture shows the Death of Gaston de Foix.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. Three statuettes of Virtues in the Victoria and Albert Museum also formed part of the monument.

The picture represents Charity, one of the Virtues (Charity, Truth, Fortitude) in London. The statue representing Charity shows her wearing a classical robe and a veil over her head. She holds a child in her left arm, and her right breast is bare. The child is looking outwards at his left hand, while his right hand is holding onto the veil of the woman. It is unusual to represent Charity with only one child, because of its similarity to the Virgin and Child.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. Three statuettes of Virtues in the Victoria and Albert Museum also formed part of the monument.

The picture represents Fortitude, one of the Virtues (Charity, Truth, Fortitude) in London. The statue representing Fortitude shows her wearing a classical robe draped over her left shoulder. Her head is covered by a veil. She clings with both hands to a column. The pose of Fortitude is adapted from Leonardo’s Leda.

In addition to the effigy of Gaston de Foix in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, a large number of fragments of the monument survive. Three statuettes of Virtues in the Victoria and Albert Museum also formed part of the monument.

The picture represents Truth (or Temperance or Justice), one of the Virtues (Charity, Truth, Fortitude) in London. This female figure is dressed in classical robes with a veil or cloak draped over her head and tied on her right shoulder. On her head is a crown or diadem, in her left hand a small scroll and in her right she holds one end of her veil.