Giovanni del Biondo (1356–1399): Florentine Gothic and Early Renaissance Painter Giovanni del Biondo, born around 1356 in Casentino, Italy, remains a figure shrouded in mystery—his precise birthdate elusive despite meticulous tax records confirming his residency in Florence from 1359 until his untimely death in 1399. He gained Florentine citizenship as ‘Iohannes Biondi de Casentino pictor,’ marking the beginning of his artistic journey within the burgeoning Gothic and Early Renaissance landscape of Tuscany. While biographical details are scarce, scholars believe he honed his skills in the wo…