Jan dit Stradanus van der Straet

Jan van der Straet, known as Stradanus, was one of the greatest mannerist painters of the sixteenth century. After training with Pieter Aertsen in Antwerp, the artist embarked on a journey through Europe before settling in Florence. Protected by Cosimo I de' Medici, Stradanus worked alongside Vasari, Bronzino, and Salviati on major Medici projects, such as the restoration of the apartments of the Palazzo Vecchio and the conception of tapestries. He obtained numerous commissions from religious authorities, producing altarpieces and frescoes for churches. A remarkable draftsman, Stradanus was very active within the Accademia del Disegno, which he directed in 1563, 1586, and 1591. Anxious to disseminate his work, the artist collaborated throughout his career with Flemish engravers, like Philippe Galle, to whom he supplied numerous drawings for engraving. Stradanus’ art is a remarkable example of the circulation and artistic exchanges between northern Europe and Italy of the cinquecento. His style combines these two visual cultures: a realistic treatment indebted to the early traditions of Flemish painting and fluid lines and raw tones rooted in Tuscan mannerism, then at its peak.