Cosimo Rosselli

(LORENZO DI FILIPPO).

Italian fresco painter, b. at Florence, 1439; d. there in 1507. The master-works of this skilful artist are the four panels in the Sistine Chapel which he painted for Sixtus IV as a part of the decoration in that building. Vasari tells us that they pleased the pope more than the similar panels by Ghirlandajo, Signorelli, Perugino, and Botticelli by reason of the glory of blue and gold which distinguished them, but is not existent now. The panels are skilfully composed, marked by clever draughtsmanship, and harmonious in their colour scheme, but vastly inferior to the other panels in the same chapel. One is, therefore, more easily able to understand Vasari's comment upon them, because there must have been some reason to account for Rosselli being given so many panels. His reputation rests more securely on his close friendship with Benozzo Gozzoli and on the fact that amongst his pupils were Fra Bartolommeo and Piero di Cosimo. Amongst his other works are three frescoes at Berlin, a very important one from Fiesole in the National Gallery, a fine example in Paris, and several at Florence, including one in the Academy, and others in various churches.