Giovan Francesco Caroto

Giovan Francesco Caroto (c. 1480 - 1555) was born between Caravaggio and Mozzanica, in a region east of the river Adda and the birthplace of an impressive number of craftsmen and artists. When his father died, the whole family moved to Verona, establishing strong bonds with this city on the River Adige, and where the Carotos settled. Giovan Francesco's formative years, between the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16thcentury, was a period of intense artistic relations between Verona and Mantua. Vasari writes about Caroto beginning his apprenticeship with Liberale da Verona, and then moving to Mantua to follow the Master Andrea Mantegna. By frequently travelling between Verona and the area under the rule of the Duchy of Milan, Giovan Francesco kept up to date with the artistic trends of a vast region. In 1512, he painted the frescoes in the Spolverini chapel in the church of Santa Eufemia. He then lived and worked in Lombardy for a longer period and then at the court of the Paleologi in Casale Monferrato, where he enjoyed the favour of Marquis Guglielmo (1516), and became court painter. When he left the court of Casale in 1523, he was already a well renowned painter. On his return to Verona, he successfully integrated into Verona’s society. Here, he also worked in the apothecary shop he had opened for his son in Piazza delle Erbe. Caroto practised painting, illumination, naturalistic drawing; he was a medalist and sculptor, demonstrating remarkable skills in the painting of minute figures. He thus became a point of reference in landscape painting for a large generation of artists in Verona, including Domenico Brusasorci and Paolo Caliari, a.k.a Veronese. In the following years, he would keep his contacts with Mantua and the Gonzaga court, thanks to the good relationship he enjoyed with the Duchess Margherita Paleologa, his patron’s daughter in Casale.