The Marinoni Family Workshop
The Marinoni were an important family of painters from Bergamo who established an artistic workshop that operated from the second half of the 15th century until the end of the 16th century. This workshop was among the most active in the Bergamo region and its valleys. The lineage of painters spanned four generations, beginning with Antonio, the son of Zani, and continuing through his descendants.
Giovanni, born in the second half of the 15th century in Desenzano al Serio, was a significant figure in the family's history. His documented works include the Polittico del Giovanni Battista from 1493, currently held in the Bagatti Valsecchi Foundation museum, and a cycle of frescoes depicting the life of Saint Bartholomew in the church of San Bartolomeo in Albino from 1492. Other works attributed to him include frescoes in the church of Santa Maria della Neve in Albino from 1496, and paintings in Nembro, Casnigo, and various locations throughout the Bergamo area.
Generations of Painters
The workshop continued through Giovanni's sons, Antonio, Bernardo, and Pietro. Antonio, who lived until approximately 1545, became the head of the workshop following his father's death. His notable works include the Pala di Ognissanti and the polyptych of Saint John the Baptist in the church of San Giacomo in Gromo. Bernardo worked alongside his father and brother on the Polittico del Battista in Milan in 1493, and he may have been a sculptor, having contributed to the wooden part of the Bagatti-Valsecchi polyptych.
The family's artistic activity extended into the 16th century through Ambrogio, the son of Antonio, who worked on frescoes in the Abbey of Pontida. The workshop's production included various religious subjects, such as the Trasfigurazione in Nembro and Alzano Lombardo, and the polyptych of Saint Rocco in Gazzaniga. The workshop eventually ceased its activities in 1575.
