Dossi, Dosso

(Giovanni de Luteri; c. 1490-1542)

   Artist from Ferrara who became court painter to Alfonso I d'Este, along with his brother Battista Dossi. His works often portray complex subjects that rely on fantasy and his style is closely linked to that of the Venetian masters in their colorism and light effects. After 1520, Dosso's paintings became more sculptural, often borrowing poses from Michelangelo's works in Rome and ancient statuary, which suggests a visit to the papal city. His best-known work is Melissa (1520s; Rome, Galleria Borghese), based on a scene from Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto, the Ferrarese poet who, like Dosso, served the d'Este duke. Other paintings by Dosso include his Holy Family with the Young St. John the Baptist, a Cat, and Donors (c. 1512-1513; Philadelphia Museum of Art), the Three Ages of Man (c. 1515; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art), and the Allegory of Fortune (c. 1530; Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum).