1449 -1494 · Florentine Renaissance, fresco and portrait

Clear architectures, precise portraits, frank colors and sacred stories populated by Florentines make Ghirlandaio the great painted chronicler of the Medicean Renaissance.

Born in Florence in 1449 under the name Domenico di Tommaso Bigordi, Ghirlandaio grew up in a family linked to goldsmithing. He trained in the environment of Alesso Baldovinetti and very early developed a clear drawing, attention to portraiture and an exceptional sense of narrative fresco. Active in Florence, San Gimignano, Pisa and Rome, he participated in 1481 -1482 in the decor of the Sistine Chapel. Active in Florence, San Gimignano, Pisa and Rome, he participated in 1481 -1482 in the decor of the Sistine Chapel. Active in 1481 -1482 in the decor of the Sistine Chapel. His great Florentine cycles of the Sassetti Chapel in Santa Trinita and the Tornabuoni Chapel in Santa Maria Novella transpose the stories of Saint Francis, the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist into contemporary architecture and costumes. Members of the sponsoring, humanist families and citizens become visible witnesses of the sacred story. Ghirlandaio also excels in portraiture, where physical precision combines with great dignity. His workshop, associated with his brothers Davide and Benedetto, produced altarpieces, panels, frescoes and drawings; the young Michelangelo was briefly an apprentice there. Died in Florence in 1494, Ghirlandaio left an abundant production, part of which was the collective work of the workshop. Died in Florence in 1494, Ghirlandaio left an abundant production, part of which was the collective work of the workshop. The "Domenico Ghirlandaio" selection notably compares The Adoration of the Shepherds and Giovanna Tornabuoni. His reading favors the story.

Ghirlandaio transforms sacred history into Florentine memory: each contemporary face affirms that the story also belongs to the present.