Vincenzo Campi

Key facts

Lived

1536–1591

Movements

• Mannerism
• Renaissance

Works held in

3 museums^[1]

Plan your visit to see Vincenzo Campi →

• What is Vincenzo Campi known for?+

  Vincenzo Campi is known for his kitchen and market paintings, some of the earliest standalone genre paintings in Italian art. He painted butchers, fishmongers, poultry sellers and fruit vendors on canvases usually reserved for religious subjects.
• What is Vincenzo Campi's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name one single work as Vincenzo Campi's most famous. He produced paintings on both religious and secular themes, and he is regarded as an important, if somewhat uneven, figure in late-sixteenth-century Lombard painting. Campi came from a family of artists; his brothers Giulio and Antonio were also painters. Vincenzo is known for his contributions to the development of still life and genre painting, and for a naturalistic style influenced by Flemish art. He produced a number of paintings featuring market and kitchen scenes, such as *The Fruit Seller* and *Kitchen Scene with Fish*. These works display an interest in everyday life, and they also incorporate symbolic elements. Campi also painted religious subjects, including altarpieces for churches in Cremona and other cities in Lombardy.
• What should I know about Vincenzo Campi's prints?+

  Vincenzo Campi, born in Cremona around 1530, came from a family of painters. His brothers Giulio and Antonio were also artists; Vincenzo likely trained in Giulio's workshop. Though primarily a painter, Vincenzo's artistic milieu included printmaking. His brother Antonio, for example, produced a series of chiaroscuro prints, taking Parmigianino as his model. Furthermore, Agostino Carracci created prints after Antonio's designs for Antonio's book on the history of Cremona, published in 1585. Vincenzo Campi's interest in prints extended to his appreciation of other artists' work. He owned architectural views and figurative works by Annibale Carracci, Claude, and others. Campi admired artists like Polidoro da Caravaggio and Antonio Tempesta for their skill in chiaroscuro and printmaking, even while noting their limitations in oil painting. Tempesta even decorated the courtyard at Bassano with chiaroscuro designs.
• What style or movement did Vincenzo Campi belong to?+

  Vincenzo Campi was active during the Mannerist period, a style that emerged in Italy in the 1520s. Mannerism can be seen as a reaction against the High Renaissance ideals of balance and naturalism, which had dominated Italian art for much of the 16th century. The term 'Mannerism' derives from the Italian word 'maniera', meaning 'style' or 'manner'. Mannerist artists deliberately revealed the constructed nature of art, in contrast to Renaissance artists, who strove to conceal artifice through devices like perspective and shading. This self-conscious display of artifice often resulted in imbalanced compositions, visual and conceptual complexities, ambiguous space and unique presentations of traditional themes. The religious and political turmoil of the period, including the Protestant Reformation and the French invasion of Italy, contributed to the development of Mannerism. Where Renaissance art sought balance, Mannerism embraced imbalance, reflecting a world filled with uncertainty.
• What techniques or materials did Vincenzo Campi use?+

  Venice was a major centre for dyes and pigments. Mineral pigments came from northern Europe; Germany and Hungary supplied azurite blue, Poland provided carmine red, and the Netherlands supplied verdigris green. Natural ultramarine blue was imported from what today is Afghanistan. Shops specialising in art supplies surfaced in Venice around 1500, offering pigments, canvases, solvents, and other materials. Venetian painters favoured canvas supports over fresco and panel painting, using linen, hemp, and jute, sometimes in blended fabrics. For large works, thicker twill and herringbone canvases were often chosen for their durability. The Venetians laid out thin gesso grounds to keep them flexible for transport. This created a rough, textured surface. Underdrawing played a more active role in Venice than previously thought. Titian studied mosaic, which requires precise measurements in design. Venetian artists used three-dimensional models, particularly scaled-down wax, plaster, and bronze reproductions of antique statues.
• What was Vincenzo Campi known for?+

  Vincenzo Campi (circa 1530-1591) was an Italian painter from Cremona, active primarily in Lombardy. He is known for religious paintings, genre scenes, and portraiture. Campi came from a family of artists. His brothers Giulio and Antonio were also painters. Vincenzo is thought to have trained with Giulio. His early works show the influence of mannerism. Later, he adopted a more naturalistic style, possibly influenced by Flemish painting. He painted several altarpieces for churches in Cremona and nearby cities. These include works for San Giminiano, Sant' Abbondio, and San Sigismondo. Campi is also known for his genre scenes. These paintings depict everyday life, often with a humorous or satirical tone. Examples include "The Fishmongers" and "The Vegetable Seller". These works are notable for their realism and attention to detail. They offer a glimpse into the daily lives of ordinary people in 16th-century Italy. These paintings mark him as an important figure in the development of genre painting in Italy.
• When did Vincenzo Campi live and work?+

  Vincenzo Campi was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance; he was born around 1536 and died in 1591. He primarily worked in Cremona, but he also completed commissions in other north Italian cities. Campi came from a family of artists. His brothers, Giulio and Antonio, were also painters. Vincenzo is best known for his contributions to the development of genre painting; he produced realistic scenes of everyday life. These works moved away from the idealised representations common in earlier Renaissance art. His paintings often included detailed depictions of food, market scenes, and peasant life. Examples of his work include "The Vegetable Seller" and "The Fishmongers", both of which display his skill in rendering realistic details. Campi's style blended elements of Lombard naturalism with influences from Flemish art. His work had an impact on later genre painters in Italy and beyond.
• Where can I see Vincenzo Campi's work?+

  Vincenzo Campi's paintings can be found in several European museums and churches. His earliest dated works, from 1569, include the *Deposition* in Foppone and the *Portrait of Giulio Boccamallon* at the Gallerie dell'Accademia Carrara, Bergamo. In 1573, Campi frescoed ten roundels depicting prophets in the choir of Cremona's cathedral. Other religious paintings from the 1570s include *Christ Supported by Angels* in Bordolano; *Christ About to Be Crucified* (1575) at the Certosa di Pavia; *Christ Nailed to the Cross* (1577) at the Prado; and *Virgin and Saint Anne* (1577) in Santa Maria Maddalena, Cremona. Paintings similar to his series for Hans Fugger (1580-81) can be seen at the Brera, Milan; in Lyons; and in Modena. He also collaborated with his brother Antonio on decorating the vault of San Paolo, Milan; it features *The Ascension of Christ* and *The Assumption of the Virgin*. Many drawings by artists of this period are held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and other museums listed.
• Where was Vincenzo Campi from?+

  Vincenzo Campi was from Cremona, a city in Lombardy, Italy. He was born there around 1530. Cremona is situated on the Po River, and it has a history as a centre for the arts, particularly music. The city is famous for violin making; the Stradivari, Amati, and Guarneri families all had workshops there. Campi’s family, including his brothers Giulio and Antonio, were all painters working in Cremona during the late Renaissance. Vincenzo is considered the most important of the three. He is known for his contributions to both religious painting and genre painting, a relatively new form in Italy at the time. His connections to Cremona remained strong throughout his career. He died there in 1591.
• Who did Vincenzo Campi influence?+

  Vincenzo Campi's work, particularly his genre paintings featuring fruit, fish vendors, and cooks, influenced Annibale Carracci. Campi's paintings from this period, along with those of Bartolomeo Passarotti, helped shape Carracci's artistic direction. Campi, born in Cremona around 1530, came from a family of painters. He likely trained in the workshop of his brother Giulio, and his early works reveal Cremonese Mannerism and Lombard naturalism, later combined with Flemish influences. By 1573, he was creating frescoes in Cremona Cathedral. His time in the Farnese territories, including Piacenza and Busseto, allowed him to study Correggio's frescoes. He also saw genre paintings by Joachim Beuckelaer, sent to Parma by Alessandro Farnese. A series of paintings commissioned by Hans Fugger in 1580-81 are among Campi's most notable works. Campi's last major project, completed in 1588 with assistance from his brother Antonio, was the decoration of the vault of San Paolo, Milan. He died in 1591.
• Who influenced Vincenzo Campi?+

  Vincenzo Campi, born in Cremona around 1530, came from a family of artists. He likely received his initial training in the workshop of his brother Giulio, alongside his other brother Antonio. His early works, such as the Deposition (1569) and the Portrait of Giulio Boccamallon (1569), demonstrate two stylistic elements: the Mannerism of Cremona and an interest in Lombard naturalism. Flemish influences also became part of his style. Like his brother Antonio, Vincenzo's work shows an increasing naturalism derived from Brescian painting. While working in Piacenza and Busseto, Vincenzo had the opportunity to study Correggio's frescoes. He was also exposed to genre paintings by Joachim Beuckelaer; these depictions of everyday scenes, along with those of Bartolomeo Passarotti, later influenced Annibale Carracci.
• Who was Vincenzo Campi?+

  Vincenzo Campi (circa 1530/1536-1591) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He was born in Cremona, the third son of Galeazzo Campi, who is considered the founder of the Cremonese school. His brothers, Giulio and Antonio, were also painters. Vincenzo is known for his contributions to both religious painting and genre scenes. His early training would have been alongside his brothers in the family workshop. His paintings display a blend of Lombard and Emilian influences. His work moved away from the more idealised forms of the earlier Renaissance. He instead favoured a naturalistic style, particularly in his genre paintings which often depicted market scenes and everyday life. These paintings offer insights into the culture of the period. Examples include "The Fishmongers" and "Kitchen Scene", both of which demonstrate his interest in still life and the representation of ordinary people. He died in Cremona in 1591.