Andrea
del Verrocchio(b Florence, 1435;
d Venice, ?30 June 1488).
Italian sculptor, painter, draughtsman and goldsmith. He was the leading
sculptor in Florence in the second half of the 15th century, and his
highly successful workshop, in which Leonardo da Vinci trained, had a
far-reaching impact on younger generations. A wide range of patrons,
including the Medici family, the Venetian State and the city council of
Pistoia, commissioned works from him. Exceptionally versatile,
Verrocchio was talented both as a sculptor—of monumental bronzes, silver
figurines and marble reliefs—and as a painter of altarpieces. He was
inspired by the contemporary interest in the Antique and in the study of
nature, yet, approaching almost every project as a new challenge,
developed new conceptions that often defied both traditional aesthetics
and conventional techniques. His fountains, portrait busts and
equestrian sculpture are indebted to an iconographic tradition rooted in
the early 15th century and yet they are transformed by his original
outlook. His funerary ensembles are unique, so that, despite the great
admiration they inspired, they had no imitators. Though a highly
important artist in his own right, Verrocchio has often had the
misfortune of being seen as in the shadow of his pupil Leonardo.
