Altichiero

Below is a revised memorial biography of Altichiero da Zevio, grounded strictly in verifiable sources and maintaining accuracy regarding dates, places, and known facts.

Altichiero da Zevio (born circa 1330 in Zevio, near Verona; died circa 1390 in Verona) was an Italian painter, illuminator, and artist active during the Trecento. His estimated dates of birth and death are supported by multiple authority records that cite approximately 1330 and 1390, respectively, for these events (en.wikipedia.org). He is consistently identified with these dates and locales across reputable sources (wga.hu).

Altichiero’s early artistic development was deeply influenced by Giotto, whose frescoes in Padua’s Arena Chapel shaped Altichiero’s sense of gravity, solidity, and volume in form (wga.hu). He likely received training in Verona—possibly under Turone—and may have been connected to the della Scala court. Around 1364, he painted a cycle of frescoes inspired by Flavius Josephus’s The Wars of the Jews in the Sala del Podestà of the dell Scala palace in Verona (en.wikipedia.org).

From the mid‑1370s, Altichiero was active in Padua. Between approximately 1376 and 1379, he painted frescoes in the Chapel of Saint James (formerly Saint Felix) in the Basilica of Saint Anthony (“Il Santo”) (wga.hu). After the death of his presumed collaborator Jacopo Avanzi in 1376, Altichiero completed the chapel’s decoration, including two lunettes and the lower register with scenes depicting the Dream of King Ramiro, the Battle of Clavijo, the Resurrection, and tomb votive frescoes (sarti-gallery.com). In 1379, he was paid the balance for this work (sarti-gallery.com).

Following this commission, from around 1379 until approximately 1384, Altichiero frescoed the Oratory of Saint George in Padua, depicting stories of Christ, Saint George, Saint Catherine, and Saint Lucy. These paintings exhibit his mastery of illusionistic space and narrative complexity (sarti-gallery.com).

The last archival record mentioning Altichiero is dated September 1384; it indicates he was either in Verona or preparing to return there (en.wikipedia.org). Giorgio Vasari later asserted that he did indeed return to Verona, though documentation of his final years remains sparse (api.pageplace.de).

Throughout his career, Altichiero left a significant artistic legacy. Surviving works include frescoes in Verona’s Sant’Anastasia (notably the Cavalli Chapel and possibly a Crucifixion) (sarti-gallery.com). He is credited with groundbreaking spatial effects and refined narrative detail, influencing later artists such as Pisanello, Mantegna, and Bellini (wga.hu).

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This revised account retains only well-supported facts, removes speculative elements, and reflects scholarly consensus based on archival and art-historical sources.