Giovanni
Pisano

Giovanni Pisano was born in Pisa around 1245. In 1265-78. Giovanni worked with his father, and with his participation the pulpit was created for the city cathedral in Siena, as well as the Fonte Maggiore fountain in Perugia. Pisano's first independent work was a sculptural decoration of the facade of the Pisa Baptistery (1278–84). For the first time in Tuscany, monumental sculpture was organically incorporated into architectural design. The extraordinary liveliness of the Pisan sculptural images is the opposite of the calm serenity of his father's sculptures. About 1270-1276 Pisano visited France. In most of his works, the influence of French Gothic is noticeable.

In 1285, Giovanni arrived in Siena, where from 1287 to 1296. served as chief architect of the cathedral. The full dynamics and drama of the figures of the sculptural composition of the facade of the cathedral testify to the significant influence of French Gothic plastic on Pisano. Of all the Gothic Italian facades, Siena Cathedral has the most luxurious sculptural decoration. Later, he served as a model for the decoration of the Gothic cathedrals of Central Italy. In 1299, Giovanni returned to Pisa, where he worked as an architect and sculptor in the construction of church buildings.

One of the greatest achievements of Giovanni Pisano is considered the pulpit for the church of Sant'Andrea in Pistoia (1297-1301). The theme of the reliefs adorning the pulpit is also similar to those of Pisa. However, the characters' faces are more expressive, their poses and gestures are more dramatic. The scenes "The Crucifixion" and "The Massacre of Babies" are especially expressive. Giovanni Pisano is the author of numerous statues of Madonnas, prophets and saints. The most famous sculpture of the Madonna is in the altar of the Scrovegni Chapel (Chapel del Arena) in Padua (c. 1305).

From 1302 to 1320 Giovanni Pisano worked on the pulpit for the Pisa Cathedral. After the fire in 1599, the department was dismantled (for the period of repair) and restored only in 1926. The remaining "superfluous" fragments are kept in several museums around the world. In 1313 Giovanni began work on the tombstone of Empress Margaret of Luxembourg in Genoa (not completed). The last mention of Giovanni Pisano dates back to 1314, it is believed that he died soon after.