COSSA, Francesco del
(b. ca. 1435, Ferrara, d. ca. 1477, Bologna)

Griffoni Polyptych: St Peter and St John the Baptist (details)

1473
Oil on panel
Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan

In his paintings Cossa shows a special interest in rocky landscapes and in the stones, carved and otherwise, of which architecture is built. This affinity emerges behind the standing figure of John the Baptist in a landscape of rocky pinnacles, open arcades, and natural bridges supporting turreted castles and domed churches stacked in impossible positions.