Verocchio, Andrea

Verocchio, Andrea a celebrated Italian painter, sculptor, and goldsmith, was born at Florence in 1432. He first distinguished himself as a goldsmith at Florence and Rome, and then devoted himself to sculpture in bronze and marble. His first work in marble was a monument in the Minerva at Rome to the wife of Francesco Tornabuoni, which is now in the Florentine Gallery. His next effort was a colossal bronze figure of David, also in the Florentine Gallery. Among his other works in this department was the Incredulity of St. Thomas, in the Church of Or San Michele at Florence, which was finished in 1483. Vasari tells us that he left nothing to be wished for in this work. After this Verocebio began to turn his attention to painting. His work in sculpture had made him a good designer, and many pupils visited his academy, among whom were Pietro Perugino and Leonardo da Vinci. But the work of Da Vinci so far surpassed that of Verocchio that the latter relinquished painting entirely and devoted himself to sculpture. He was engaged to cast an equestrian statue of the celebrated general Bartolomeo Colleoni for the city of Venice. He completed the model, but, in casting the statue, caught cold, and died in a few weeks (1488), before the statue was finished. The work was completed by Alessandro Leopardi in 1490. Verocchio's remains were taken by his disciple, Lorenzo di Credi, to Florence and deposited in the Church of St. Ambrogio. See Spooner, Biog. Hist. of the Fine Arts, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, s.v.