Biography
Born
about 1435
Died
1488
Nationality
Italian
Birth place
Florence
Death place
Venice
Verrocchio was a highly skilled Florentine painter, goldsmith and sculptor; Leonardo da Vinci was his most famous apprentice. Leonardo is said to have painted an angel in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ (Uffizi, Florence) which was so beautiful it prompted Verrocchio to retire from painting and concentrate on sculpture. His most famous sculpture includes the monument of Bartolommeo Colleone on horeseback in Venice, and the sphere on top of the lantern crowning the dome of Florence cathedral. There are few paintings attributed firmly to him, but he strongly influenced the next generation of Florentine painters, including Leonardo and Domenico Ghirlandaio.