Durante Alberti

Durante Alberti (1538–1613) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period.

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"The Transfiguration", in the church Il Gesù, Rome

He was born in Borgo San Sepolcro. He was active mainly in his native town and Rome, where he arrived during the papacy of Gregory XIII. He was also called Durante del Nero. His father was Romano Alberti. His son Pierfrancesco was also a painter and engraver. His brother, Cosimo, was a sculptor, engraver, and painter who died in Rome in 1580. His daughter Chiara was a painter. He was related to the sculptor Alberto, and the painters Alessandro, Giovanni, and Cherubino Alberti (1533–1615).

He painted for the church of San Girolamo della Carità, one of the chapels in fresco and an altar-piece in oil, representing the Virgin and child with Saints Bartolomeo and Alessandro. For Santa Maria de' Monti, he painted an Annunciation. He also painted the famous 'Martyr's Painting' in the Main Chapel of the Venerable English College in Rome. The painting represents the Blessed Trinity and St Thomas to whom the church was dedicated. It was before this painting that the students would gather to sing the hymn of thsnksgiving, the Te Deum, whenever news arrived of yet another of the alumni having been executed for professing the Catholic Faith in Protestant England in the late 16th century. Forty four of these students have been declared by the Catholic Church Saints and Martyrs.* Durante Alberti was buried at Santa Maria del Popolo.

Sources

• 'O Roma Felix' by H.O.Flaherty & J.Smit. Verdesi Guide-books, Rome. Also 'The Venerable English College Rome' by Michael E. Williams. (An excellent illustration of this painting can be found on the back cover of this book).
• Getty ULAN entry.