
Florentine artist Masaccio, born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, is regarded as the first great Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. In 1423, Masaccio travelled to Rome, where he would produce several works, including a Nativity and an Annunciation, which have since been lost. In Rome, Masaccio also collaborated with fellow artist and friend Masolino, who was frescoing a chapel with scenes from the life of St Catherine in the Basilica di San Clemente. Masaccio's works can be found in several locations in Rome, including the Basilica di San Clemente and the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Masaccio |
| Birth Name | Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone |
| Birth Date | 21 December 1401 |
| Birth Place | Castel San Giovanni, now San Giovanni Valdarno, near Florence, Italy |
| Death Date | Summer or Autumn 1428 |
| Death Place | Rome |
| Known For | Painting |
| Movement | Italian Renaissance |
| Influenced By | Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi |
| Collaborators | Masolino, Giovanni (brother) |
| Notable Works | Crucifixion, Madonna and Child with St Anne, Madonna, Child, and Angels |
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What You'll Learn

Masaccio's frescoes in the Basilica di San Clemente
The Basilica di San Clemente in Rome is a minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I. The current structure dates back to the 12th century and is connected to a Dominican convent. The site on which the basilica stands has a rich history, with archaeological evidence of Roman villas and ancient buildings dating back to the 1st century CE.
Masaccio, born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a renowned Florentine artist of the early Renaissance period. He is known for his innovative use of linear perspective, lifelike figures, and movements, as well as his departure from the Gothic and Byzantine styles of his predecessors. Masaccio travelled to Rome in 1423 with his companion Masolino, where they collaborated on several projects.
One of Masaccio's notable contributions in Rome was his possible collaboration with Masolino at the Basilica di San Clemente. Masolino was frescoing a chapel with scenes from the life of St. Catherine, and while it has never been confirmed, it is speculated that Masaccio may have contributed to this work. The basilica itself is a treasure trove of art and history, with beautiful twelfth-century mosaics, frescoes, and ancient Roman artefacts on display.
Masaccio's influence on the art world is undeniable, and he is considered to have played a pivotal role in the Early Italian Renaissance. His use of perspective, volumetric modelling, and expressive human figures set a new standard for Western painting. Unfortunately, Masaccio's life was cut short, and he died at the young age of twenty-six, leaving only a handful of frescoes undoubtedly attributed to him.
The Basilica di San Clemente stands as a testament to the rich history of Rome, offering visitors a glimpse into the past through its architectural beauty, ancient artefacts, and artistic treasures, including the possible contributions of the illustrious Masaccio.
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Masaccio's work in the Brancacci Chapel
Florentine painter Masaccio is considered one of the first great Italian painters of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. He is known for his skill at imitating nature, recreating lifelike figures and movements, and his use of three-dimensionality.
Masaccio's masterpiece, the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, were created around 1427. They tell the story of the life of St. Peter and remained influential throughout the Renaissance.
The Brancacci Chapel was owned by the Brancacci family and was decorated with pictorial patronage from Felice Brancacci, who was the Florentine ambassador to Cairo until 1423. Upon his return to Florence, he hired Masaccio's associate, Masolino da Panicale, to paint his chapel. Masaccio, 18 years younger than Masolino, assisted him. However, Masolino left for Hungary, and the commission was passed to Masaccio.
Masaccio's most famous painting in the chapel is 'The Tribute Money', which depicts the story of Peter and the tax collector from Matthew 17:24–27. The painting is on the upper left wall and is told in three separate scenes within the same fresco. This technique, called a continuous narrative, was also used by the ancient Romans. The left side of the fresco shows Peter getting a coin from a fish's mouth, and the right side shows him paying his taxes. The light in the painting comes from the upper right, harmonizing with the lighting in the chapel, which comes from a window on the right wall.
Another of Masaccio's paintings in the Brancacci Chapel is 'Expulsion from the Garden of Eden', which is the first fresco on the upper part of the chapel, just to the left of 'The Tribute Money'. It is famous for its unprecedented emotional realism and vivid energy, contrasting dramatically with Masolino's delicate and decorative image of Adam and Eve before the fall, painted on the opposite wall.
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Masaccio's altarpiece in the Carmelite Church, Pisa
Masaccio, born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist considered to be the first great Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. He is regarded by many as the greatest master of early Italian Renaissance painting.
Masaccio's altarpiece in the Carmelite Church in Pisa, also known as the Pisa Altarpiece, was produced for a chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in 1426. It is his best-documented work, with all payments recorded and the patron known. The altarpiece is considered an early work, completed just a year before the artist's death at the age of twenty-six or twenty-seven.
The Carmelite Church altarpiece is a multipaneled painting, with the central Madonna and Child with Angels now in the National Gallery in London. The three predella panels and four small saints from the frame are in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. The panels from the top representing St Andrew and St Paul are in the Getty Museum in Malibu and the Museo Nazionale in Pisa, respectively. The centrally placed uppermost Crucifixion is in the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte in Naples.
The altarpiece was confined within a traditional format: a richly carved, conservative Gothic retable, with small images of saints set into the frame. This work is significant as it demonstrates Masaccio's move away from the International Gothic style towards a more naturalistic mode that employed perspective and chiaroscuro for greater realism. He was one of the first to use linear perspective in his paintings, creating a convincing sense of three-dimensionality.
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Masaccio's Crucifixion, located in the National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples
Masaccio, born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist and one of the first Italian painters of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. He is regarded as the first great Italian painter of his time due to his skill at imitating nature, recreating lifelike figures and movements, and his understanding of three-dimensionality.
Masaccio's 'Crucifixion' is believed to have been created around 1426 and is housed at the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy. The painting is emblematic of the Early Renaissance art movement and possesses the depth and emotional intensity characteristic of the period. The artwork presents a sombre and evocative portrayal of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Central to the composition is the figure of Christ on the cross, depicted with naturalism and a sense of weightiness that speaks to Masaccio’s proficiency in conveying the human form. The muted colour palette, aside from the bright red of the foreground figure’s clothing, underscores the tragic nature of the scene.
The National Museum of Capodimonte is located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorative art, with several important works from other Italian schools of painting, and some important ancient Roman sculptures. It was inaugurated in 1957 and is one of the largest museums in Italy.
The museum is also home to the Farnese collection of classical, mostly Roman, monumental sculpture, which is housed on the ground floor. The collection was inherited by King Charles VII of Naples and Sicily (later Charles III of Spain) from his mother, Elisabetta Farnese, the last descendant of the sovereign ducal family of Parma. The palace was originally intended to be a hunting lodge, but it was decided that a grand palace was needed to house the fabulous collection.
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Masaccio's work in the Chapel of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence
Masaccio was a Florentine artist and painter, considered to be the first great Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. He was born in 1401 in Castel San Giovanni, now San Giovanni Valdarno, near Florence, Italy. He died in 1428 at the young age of 26 or 27.
Masaccio's work in the Chapel of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, also known as the Brancacci Chapel, is particularly notable. The frescoes he created here are considered groundbreaking for their use of linear perspective and vanishing points, as well as their naturalism and three-dimensionality. These techniques would have a profound influence on other artists, helping to move painting away from the International Gothic style.
One of the most famous frescoes in the chapel is "The Tribute Money", which depicts Christ, apostles, and a tax collector. The painting is thought to have been created around 1427 and is known for its use of a vanishing point with Christ as the focal point. This work also holds symbolic significance, alluding to a contemporary dispute between Florence and Filippo Maria Visconti, as well as the establishment of the first income tax in Florence.
Another important work by Masaccio in the chapel is "The Expulsion", which is part of the same fresco as "The Tribute Money". This work depicts the story of Peter and the tax collector from the Bible (Matthew 17:24-27). The left side of the fresco shows Peter obtaining a coin from a fish's mouth, while the right side shows him paying taxes.
Masaccio's work in the Chapel of Santa Maria del Carmine was left unfinished due to various circumstances, including the exile of the commissioning patron in 1436. It is believed that some of Masaccio's work may have been removed or destroyed due to its portraiture of the Brancacci family. The frescoes were eventually completed by Filippino Lippi, the son of Masaccio's first apprentice, after the family's return to Florence in 1480.
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Frequently asked questions
Massacio's paintings are not located in Rome. Massacio travelled to Rome in 1423 or 1428, where he passed away.
Massacio's paintings are located in Florence, Italy. Massacio was a Florentine painter and was accepted into the guild of painters in Florence in 1422.
Massacio's paintings include a Nativity and an Annunciation, as well as the Crucifixion, which is located in the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy.











































