Johannes Stradanus: A Florentine Master of the Sixteenth Century Born in Bruges around 1523 and passing away in Florence in 1605, Johannes Stradanus – also known as Jan van der Straet or Giovanni Stradano – stands as a pivotal figure bridging the artistic currents of the Northern Renaissance with the burgeoning dynamism of Italian Mannerism. His life was one of constant movement, reflecting a deep engagement with diverse artistic traditions and a remarkable versatility that encompassed painting, design for tapestries, printmaking, and even pottery decoration. Stradanus’s career unfolded acro…