Pietro Perugino
Umbrian painter whose work prefigured the High Renaissance.
Pietro Perugino, born Pietro Vannucci in Città della Pieve, Umbria, was a leading Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school. His nickname derives from Perugia, the principal city of the region. Scholars disagree about his family’s wealth; some believe he rose from poverty, while others argue his family was among the town’s wealthiest. His exact birth year is unknown, but based on his age at death recorded by Vasari and Giovanni Santi, he was likely born between 1446 and 1452. He probably began his artistic training in local Perugian workshops, possibly with Bartolomeo Caporali or Fiorenzo di Lorenzo. He later traveled to Florence, where, according to Vasari, he apprenticed in Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop alongside Leonardo da Vinci, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and others. Piero della Francesca is thought to have taught him perspective. By 1472, he had completed his apprenticeship and was enrolled as a master in the Confraternity of St Luke. Perugino was among the first central Italian painters to work extensively in oil. His early career included large frescoes for the convent of the Gesuati at San Giusto alle Mura, later destroyed during the Siege of Florence. Around 1480, Pope Sixtus IV summoned him to Rome to paint frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, including the *Baptism of Christ* and *Delivery of the Keys*. Pinturicchio accompanied him as a partner. These works were major early High Renaissance commissions in Rome; the altar wall paintings were later destroyed to make way for Michelangelo’s *Last Judgement*. Between 1486 and 1499, Perugino worked mainly in Florence and Perugia, maintaining studios in both cities. In 1493, he married Chiara, daughter of the architect Luca Fancelli. In 1496, the Perugian money-changers’ guild commissioned him to decorate their audience hall, the Sala delle Udienze del Collegio del Cambio, a project completed around 1500. The scheme included vault paintings of planets and zodiac signs, sacred subjects, and classical worthies, with his own portrait on a pilaster. His young pupil Raphael may have assisted with the vault. In 1501, Perugino served as one of Perugia’s priors. After a public insult from Michelangelo, he produced the masterful *Madonna and Saints* altarpiece for the Certosa of Pavia, now dispersed. His later *Annunziata Altarpiece* in Florence was criticized for lacking innovation, causing him to lose student
- born
- c. 1446/1452, Città della Pieve, Umbria
- died
- 1523, Fontignano (plague)
- field
- Painting
- nationality
- Italian
- known_for
- Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel; influence on Raphael; early central Italian oil painting
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Pietro Vannucci
- Birth Date
- c. 1446
- Birth Place
- Città della Pieve, Papal States (now Umbria, Italy)
- Death Date
- 1523 · 1446
- Death Place
- Fontignano, Papal States (now Umbria, Italy)
- Field
- Painting, fresco
- Training
- Andrea del Verrocchio
- Movement
- Italian Renaissance
- Works
- The Delivery of the Keys
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
His nickname characterizes him as from Perugia. Scholars continue to dispute the socioeconomic status of his family; some maintain he worked his way out of poverty, others argue his family was among the wealthiest in the town. His exact date of birth is not known, but based on his age at death mentioned by Vasari and Giovanni Santi, he is believed to have been born between 1446 and 1452. He most likely began studying painting in local workshops in Perugia. According to Vasari, he was apprenticed to the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio alongside Leonardo da Vinci, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and others. Piero della Francesca is thought to have taught him perspective form. In 1472, he was enrolled as a master in the Confraternity of St Luke. Between 1486 and 1499, he mainly worked between Florence and Perugia. He was made one of the priors of Perugia in 1501. Perugino died of the plague in 1523 and was hastily buried in an unconsecrated field.
Reader's Guide
Perugino’s career illustrates the transition from Early to High Renaissance painting. He was among the first central Italian artists to work extensively in oil, and his frescoes and altarpieces were in high demand across major commissions, including the Sistine Chapel walls for Pope Sixtus IV. His style, marked by serene religious sentiment and balanced composition, reached a peak in the Sala delle Udienze del Collegio del Cambio in Perugia, a large decorative scheme featuring sacred subjects, classical worthies, and his own portrait. He also produced the celebrated Certosa of Pavia altarpiece, now dispersed among museums. As the master of Raphael, he directly influenced the next generation of High Renaissance art. However, his later work faced criticism for lacking innovation, notably from Michelangelo, who publicly insulted him, leading to an unsuccessful defamation suit. This decline caused him to lose students and eventually abandon Florence. Despite this, his late altarpieces, such as that for San Agostino in Perugia, and his final frescoes in Trevi and Fontignano, show continued technical skill. His legacy is that of a foundational figure whose best works embody the calm, ordered piety that preceded and enabled the High Renaissance.
Did You Know?
- Perugino was one of the earliest central Italian practitioners of oil painting.
- He painted fresco panels for the Sistine Chapel walls, including the Baptism of Christ and Delivery of the Keys.
- Raphael became his most famous pupil.
- He died of the plague in 1523 and was hastily buried in an unconsecrated field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pietro Perugino?
Pietro Perugino was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, born around 1446 or 1452 in Città della Pieve. He is best remembered for his Sistine Chapel frescoes and as the teacher of the young Raphael.
What is Pietro Perugino most famous for?
He is widely recognized for painting the wall frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and for being among the earliest adopters of oil painting in central Italy. His workshop also served as the training ground where Raphael first developed his craft.
Why is Pietro Perugino important in art history?
Perugino's balanced compositions and spatial arrangements helped bridge the Early Renaissance and the High Renaissance, laying groundwork that later masters would refine. He is often cited as a key transitional figure in Umbrian and broader Italian painting.
How did Pietro Perugino's life end?
He died in 1523 in Fontignano, where he had been struck by the plague. This brought an end to a career spanning roughly six decades of Italian painting.
What is the connection between Pietro Perugino and Raphael?
Raphael studied directly under Perugino, and the master's gentle figure work and symmetrical compositions clearly shaped the young Raphael's early style. Perugino is therefore remembered as much for the influence he exerted on Raphael as for his own independent achievements.
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