Niccolò della Casa

Niccolò della Casa was an artist primarily known for his work in printmaking, active during the period spanning 1535 to 1548. His surviving documented works suggest a strong focus on formal portraiture and the reproduction of elements from larger, complex religious compositions. Eight of his prints are represented in major institutional holdings, including the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A significant portion of his portraiture centers on contemporary artists and powerful political figures. Notable examples include the detailed Portrait of Baccio Bandinelli, which shows the sculptor in three-quarter length next to a window pane containing statuette fragments, grasping the head of a statuette resting at his side. Another version, titled simply Portrait of Baccio Bandinelli, is also documented. Della Casa’s scope extended to nobility, evidenced by the imposing Portrait of Cosimo de' Medici in full armor, depicting the Duke with his left hand resting upon a staff.

Beyond portraiture, della Casa produced studies or fragments of monumental religious scenes. Two documented works appear to be sections of a unified composition illustrating the Last Judgment: Angels Carrying Pillar with Saints Below (identified as the upper right section) and Angels Carrying the Cross with Saints below (identified as the upper left section). These highly detailed records of 16th-century work, known primarily through Niccolò della Casa prints, are often available today as high-quality prints and downloadable artwork through public domain resources.