Sebastiano del Piombo

High Renaissance painter Sebastiano del Piombo (c.1485-1547) uniquely combined Venetian coloring with Roman monumental forms. Born Sebastiano Luciani in Venice, he trained under Giovanni Bellini and probably Giorgione before banker Agostino Chigi brought him to Rome in 1511. There he became one of Michelangelo's rare close friends, receiving drawings and cartoons from the master to incorporate into his paintings. His rich Venetian color sense merged with Michelangelo's sculptural grandeur, creating a distinctive style.

Sebastiano's early Venetian work includes the luminous "San Giovanni Crisostomo Altarpiece" (1510-1511). In Rome, his collaboration with Michelangelo produced works like "The Flagellation" (1516-24) and "The Raising of Lazarus" (1519), the latter created in direct competition with Raphael's "Transfiguration." After Raphael's death in 1520, Sebastiano became Rome's leading painter. He gained an unparalleled reputation as a portraitist between 1519 and 1530, capturing figures like Pope Clement VII and Admiral Andrea Doria. In 1531, Pope Clement appointed him Keeper of the Papal Seal, giving him the nickname "del Piombo" (of the Lead). His work hangs at the National Gallery in London, Venice's San Giovanni Crisostomo, and other major Renaissance collections.