Giulio Bonasone

1500 Bologna
1574 Bologna


The Italian painter, engraver and etcher Giulio di Antonio Bonascone was born in Bologna around the year 1500-10. It is possible that he was a pupil of Lorenzo Sabbatini (1510–77). Later he studied under Marcantonio Raimondi (around 1475–1534). However, one can also perceived stylistic connections to Gian Jacopo Caraglio (around 1505–65).
Beginning in the year 1544, Giulio Bonascone lived in Rome. Here he probably met Titian (around 1488–1576) and several pupils of Raphael.
Thematically, Giulio Bonascone was an eclectic artist who put together his own compositions from his own drawings based on subjects by Raphael (1483–1520), Parmigianino (1503–40), Francesco Primaticcio (around 1504–70), Titian and others. He was particularly fond of erotic representations, which he furnished with sinuous nudes of both sexes.
However, mythological subjects also played a large role. Giulio Bonascone also produced numerous engravings from Michelangelo, such as "Last Judgment", "The Creation of Eve" and "Judith". But the artist also made engravings from Raphael, Giulio Romano (1492–1546), Perino del Vaga (1501–47), Jacopo da Pontormo (1494–1557), Polidoro da Caravaggio (around 1490-1500–1543), Francesco Primaticcio (1504–70) and from antique subjects. The following are ranked among Bonascone’s most important works: the 20-page cycle "Amori degli Dei" from Ovid, "Passion Christi" (around 1530) with 28 pages and "Amori, Sdegni et Gielosie di Giuncone" (around 1565) with 22 pages.
Giulio di Antonio Bonascone probably died after the year 1574 in the city of his birth, Bologna.