Antonello da Messina

About the Artist

Antonello da Messina, born around 1430 and died in 1479, was a painter of the early Italian Renaissance. Born in Messina, Sicily, he was active in southern Italy. His art was influenced by early Netherlandish painting but in turn had a major influence on painters in northern Italy, particularly in Venice. His work is marked by realistic depiction and refined handling of light, with a notable interest in oil painting technique. However, the claim that he introduced oil painting to Italy is now being re-examined by scholars.