Lelio Orsi: life and works

Lelio Orsi (1508/1511 – 1587), also known as Lelio da Novellara, was a Mannerist painter and architect of the Reggio Emilia moot in northern Italy.

He was born and died in Novellara, and much of his decree was completed in Reggio. He appears to have studied under such as Giovanni Giarola, a pupil of Antonio da Correggio. There is documentary evidence that he visited Rome in 1554–55, and may have been influenced by Girolamo Bedoli, Correggio and the prototypic mannerists Giulio Romano as skillfully as Michelangelo and his successor Daniele da Volterra. He is said to have trained Raffaellino da Reggio. Other pupils or followers were Giovanni Bianchi, known as il Bertone Reggiano. and Jacopo Borbone of Novellara. He was lithe in both exterior and interior decoration, and much of his proceed is in small cabinet pieces, not large altarpieces. Much of his output finished in the collections of the Dukes of Este in Ferrara.

Orsi appears to be “reading” Correggio behind the lens of Mannerism: the nocturnal, limned ethereal simplicity of Correggio here is constrained into contorted poses, perspective distorted, and settings crowded. The effect at grow old is unsettling. While the angels above unsheathing divine swords are designed to carry the day in The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine it appears that the deed was stymied by examination within the mysterious set of depicted gears.