Berruguete, Pedro

or Pedro Español or Pietro Spagnuolo

born с 1450, Paredes de Nava, Castile

died Jan. 6, 1504, Avila, Castile

Spanish painter.

After a sojourn in Italy, he returned to Spain, where he painted numerous altarpieces and also worked as a fresco painter in Toledo Cathedral (1483–99). The influence of Flemish and Italian art is evident in his panel paintings, which are characterized by luxurious ornament and gold decoration. He was the first great Renaissance painter in Spain. His son Alonso Berruguete was a sculptor and painter.

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▪ Spanish painter

also called  Pedro Español  or  Pietro Spagnuolo  

born 1450/55, Paredes de Nava, Castile [now in Palencia, Spain]

died Jan. 6, 1504, Ávila, Castile

 the first great Renaissance painter in Spain, and the father of Alonso Berruguete, the greatest Spanish sculptor of the 16th century.

      Berruguete is believed to have studied under Fernando Gallego or Colantonio and to have worked about 1474 at the “studiolo” of Federico da Montefeltro in the ducal palace in Urbino (Italy). He returned to Spain to produce works for the Toledo Cathedral (1483–99) and then moved to Ávila to work on the cathedral there until his death.

      Berruguete's paintings are marked by elegance and dignity combined with a profound feeling for space and atmosphere. The style is often eclectic, a mixture of Flemish, Spanish Gothic, and Italian Renaissance, but it is never imitative. This combination of influences may be seen in his masterpiece, the main altarpiece in the convent of San Tomás in Ávila (1499–1503). In these panels, representing scenes from the life of St. Thomas of Ávila, there is a combination of luxurious ornament and gold decoration with a simplicity and ease of depiction.

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