Pinturicchio or Pintoricchio [Ital.,=little painter], c.1454-1513, Umbrian painter whose real name was Bernardino di Betto. A prolific and facile painter, he was influenced by Perugino, with whom he collaborated on the frescoes for the Sistine Chapel. Pinturicchio worked chiefly in Perugia, Rome, and Siena. He decorated the Borgia apartments in the Vatican and several churches in Rome. His most elaborate project was the decoration of the cathedral library in Siena. In the Metropolitan Museum are many panels of mythological scenes from the ceiling of the reception room in the Palazzo del Magnifico in Siena. The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., has several of his religious works.

or Pintoricchio orig. Bernardino di Betto di Biago

(born circa 1454, Perugia, Romagna—died Dec. 11, 1513, Siena, Republic of Siena) Italian painter. He assisted Perugino on the frescoes in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel (1481–82). Painting in the early Renaissance style, he was more interested in decorative effects than in clarity of design; his most important work, the fresco decoration of six rooms in the Borgia Apartments for Pope Alexander VI (1492–94), features brilliant colours, gilding, and ancient Roman ornamental motifs. His last major works were 10 scenes from the life of Pius II in the Piccolomini Library of Siena Cathedral. He was also a prolific panel painter.

Learn more about Pinturicchio with a free trial on Britannica.com.