Primaticcio (1504–1570)

Henry Nelson O'Neil (after) 7 Jan 1817 - 13 Mar 1880

Summary

One of '10 copies of mosaic wall decorations at the South Kensington Museum'. Italian painter, sculptor and architect Francesco Primaticcio (1504-1570) is depicted here standing on the edge of a wooden platform, a paintbrush in his right hand and an easel in his left. The inscription reads: “F.Primaticcio Italian painter B.1504. D.1570”. Acquired as 'one of 10 copies of mosaic wall decorations at the South Kensington Museum'. The construction and decoration of the South Court of the Victoria and Albert Museum by Godfrey Sykes between 1860 and 1862 was further embellished 1862-71 with a series of life-size full-length portraits in mosaic of great artists which came to be known as the 'Kensington Valhalla'. The mosaics were in the paired niches above the main arches. Several leading contemporary artists supplied the full-size designs (which are in the V&A collections), including Cope, Leighton, Poynter, and Watts.