Giovanni Luteri, called Dosso Dossi

Bio

Son of Nicolo’ de Lutero, alias de Costantino, from the Trentino, who died as bursar in the service of Duke Ercole I of Ferrara, Giovanni and his younger brother and collaborator Battista took their name from a family property owned by their father, the Villa Dossi Vicariatus Quistelli, which was in Tramuschio in the Duchy of Mantua. His teacher is unknown, although Vasari’s states that it was Lorenzo Costa despite the fact that it is hard to see Costa’s influence in his work. It is possible that Dosso briefly came into contact with Costa when the latter became court artist in Mantua c.1506. By 1508-1510 Dosso had visited Venice, where he formed his style in the entourage of Giorgione and perhaps also the slightly younger Titian and his earliest works a Nymph and Satyr (Florence, Palazzo Pitti) and a Buffoon (Modena, Galleria Estense) date from this moment. Dosso is first recorded working for Francesco II Gonzaga in Mantua in 1512 when he was paid for a large picture for the Palace of San Sebastiano.