Giovanni Antonio Bazzi (1477-1549) has been called both a great artist and a hack imitator. Pope Leo X made him a Cavalier of the Order of Christ; Art Historian Vasari, also a contemporary, described him simply as "a beast." He was also known as "The Sodomite," which pleased him; Bazzi signed his letters "Il Sodoma"—the name he is known by today.
Last week Siena, his home town, celebrated the 401st anniversary of Il Sodoma's death with a full-dress retrospective exhibition drawn from France and Germany as well as Italy. Along with the 70-odd paintings and drawings on show was a batch of...
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