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 Altarpiece of the Church of St. Zeno Souvenir Sheet (Scott 1328, 2006) 
 Details from the Alterpiece of the Church of Saint Zeno, Verona Left: Madonna and Child Center: Saints Gregory and John the Baptist Right: Saints Peter and Paul Scott 1325-1327 (2006) Andrea Mantegna, who died on September 13, 1506, was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance era. In 2006, Vatican City issued a set of stamps marking the 500th anniversary of his death. The set included three stamps and a souvenir sheet which displayed elements of his famed Saint Zeno Altarpiece, located in the Basilica San Zeno Maggiore in Verona. Mantegna was born in Carturo (near Padua) in 1430 or 1431. He moved to Padua when he was around ten years old and joined the workshop of Francesco Squarcione, a shop that included a number of other famed artists including Paolo Uccello, Fra Filippo Lippi and Donatello. These artists experimented with techniques to incorporate perspective and an early expression of three-dimensionality to their works. In addition, Mantegna was the son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini, one of the earliest artists and founders of the Renaissance style of painting in Venice and northern Italy. Mantegna left Padua in the 1450's and went to Verona, where, between 1457 and 1459, he painted a grand altarpiece for the church of San Zeno. The central panel has the Madonna and Child with eight angels, with four saints shown in each of the side panels. Below the three large panels are three scenes from the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. This work is cited as the first good example of Renaissance art in Verona. In addition to the Saint Zeno altarpiece, some of Mantegna's other works include Saint Sebastian, The Agony in the Garden and The Lamentation over the Dead Christ. Here is a look at the Saint Zeno altarpiece:  Altarpiece of the Church of St. Zeno Basilica di San Zeno, Verona From Wikimedia Commons, in the public domain REFERENCES: |
