Antonio Vivarini was probably the earliest of a family of Venetian painters. He came from the school of Andrea da Murano, and his works show the influence of Gentile da Fabriano. The earliest known date of a picture of his, an altar-piece in the Venetian academy, is 1440; the latest, in the Lateran museum, 1464, but he appears to have been alive in 1470.
Biography
He worked in company with a certain "Joannes de Alemania," who has been (with considerable doubt) regarded as a brother (Giovanni of Murano), but no trace of this painter exists of a date later than 1447.
After 1447 Antonio painted either alone or in combination with his younger brother Bartolommeo. The works of Antonio are well drawn for their epoch, with a certain noticeable degree of softness, and with good flesh and other tints.
Three of his principal paintings are the "Virgin Enthroned with the Four Doctors of the Church," the "Coronation of the Virgin," and "Sts Peter and Jerome." The first two (in which Giovanni co-operated) are in the Venetian academy, the third in the National Gallery, London. This gallery contains also specimens of the two under-named painters.
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivarini
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