Around 1455 -1496 · Renaissance of Ferrara, Bologna and Este court

Stretched line, sculptural draperies, intense expressions and precious detail make Ercole de' Roberti a singular master of the Ferrara Renaissance.

Ercole de' Roberti was probably born in Ferrara around 1455 -1456. Trained in the artistic climate of the Este court, he continued the research of Cosmè Tura and Francesco del Cossa: incisive contours, nervous anatomy, almost metallic fabrics and complex architecture. From the 1470s, he worked in Bologna with Cossa and contributed to the Griffoni altarpiece in San Petronio, notably through a predella with small scenes of extraordinary invention. He then created the altarpiece of Santa Maria in Porto in Ravenna and contributed to the Griffoni altarpiece in San Petronio, notably through a predella with small scenes of extraordinary invention. He then created the altarpiece of Santa Maria in Porto in Ravenna and the famous frescoes of the Garganelli chapel in Bologna, almost entirely destroyed but admired by his contemporaries. Returning to Ferrara, he became in 1487 court painter of Este. Portraits of the Bentivoglio, diptych by Duchess Éléonore of Aragon, religious panels and court decorations show a rare ability to unite miniature detail and monumental emotion. The National Gallery highlights the influences of Bellini and Mantegna in a style that is nevertheless deeply personal. Died in 1496, Roberti leaves a corpus limited by destruction, but decisive for the history of the Renaissance of northern Italy. Died in 1496, Roberti leaves a corpus limited by destruction, but decisive for the history of the Renaissance of northern Italy. The "Ercole de' Roberti" selection notably compares Pietà and The Dead Christ. His reading favors details.

Roberti stretches each form to the point of emotion: the outline becomes energy, the drapery becomes architecture and the detail takes on the force of a drama.