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SAVIN, Paolo di Matteo - b. ~1480 Venezia, d. ~1520 Venezia - WGA

SAVIN, Paolo di Matteo

(b. ~1480 Venezia, d. ~1520 Venezia)

Italian sculptor. A wood sculptor (intaiador) by profession, Savin was a friend of Antonio Lombardo. When Lombardo abandoned his work on Cardinal Zen’s chapel in San Marco, Venice, in 1506, he must have recommended Savin to the Procurators of San Marco as his successor. In July 1506 Savin and Giovanni Battista Bregno were commissioned to produce six Virtues to be cast in bronze for the sides of the tomb of Cardinal Zen, four of which were completed by 1507. Savin seems to have gradually replaced Antonio Lombardo, furnishing models for two statues of St Peter and St John the Baptist for the altar, a model for the relief of the Resurrection for the antependium (1508-12) and finally models for the sarcophagus and its effigy (completed in 1519). These were cast in bronze by Pietro di Giovanni Battista Campanato (or delle Campane).

Savin’s style is derived from that of the Lombardo family but is clumsy and reveals a mediocre talent. The two saints for the Zen chapel are of higher quality than the rest of his work, perhaps the result of the participation of other artists or possibly because Savin was completing models actually begun by Antonio Lombardo. Savin fell into obscurity and no more is known of him.

Group of the Madonna della Scarpa
Group of the Madonna della Scarpa by

Group of the Madonna della Scarpa

In 1505 Alessandro Leopardi and Antonio Lombardo signed a contract to make an altar and a “sepulcher” for Cardinal Zen, to be installed in his chapel in San Marco. Antonio Lombardo was the creative director while Leopardi was put in charge of casting the bronzes. Just a year later the procurators replaced Leopardi with other specialists who had experience in casting large bronze pieces. Antonio Lombardo moved to Ferrara, and the project was handed over first to his father, Pietro, then to his brother Tullio.

The models for the project are attributed to Antonio Lombardo from whose hand we have some of the altar figures, including a Madonna with a serious expression. Tullio modified the plan by introducing classical architectural features. As the years went by, several jobs were given out to other sculptors: Giovanni Battista Bregno carved the figures on the sarcophagus, and Paolo Savin was responsible for the model of St John the Baptist, the recumbent figure of the cardinal, and the altar frontal.

It was not until 1521 that this richest of Venetian Renaissance tombs was finished.

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Group of the Madonna della Scarpa (detail)
Group of the Madonna della Scarpa (detail) by

Group of the Madonna della Scarpa (detail)

The picture shows the figure of St Peter from this bronze group.

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Tomb of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Zen
Tomb of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Zen by

Tomb of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Zen

In 1505 Alessandro Leopardi and Antonio Lombardo signed a contract to make an altar and a “sepulcher” for Cardinal Zen, to be installed in his chapel in San Marco. Antonio Lombardo was the creative director while Leopardi was put in charge of casting the bronzes. Just a year later the procurators replaced Leopardi with other specialists who had experience in casting large bronze pieces. Antonio Lombardo moved to Ferrara, and the project was handed over first to his father, Pietro, then to his brother Tullio.

The models for the project are attributed to Antonio Lombardo from whose hand we have some of the altar figures, including a Madonna with a serious expression. Tullio modified the plan by introducing classical architectural features. As the years went by, several jobs were given out to other sculptors: Giovanni Battista Bregno carved the figures on the sarcophagus, and Paolo Savin was responsible for the model of St John the Baptist, the recumbent figure of the cardinal, and the altar frontal.

It was not until 1521 that this richest of Venetian Renaissance tombs was finished.

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