1540 in art

Events from the year 1540 in art.

Works

• Ardabil Carpets
• Francesco de' Rossi – ' (approximate date)
• Hans Holbein the Younger
• Portrait of Henry VIII (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, approximate date)
• '
• Michelangelo – Brutus (carved bust, approximate date)
• 'Südindischer Meister' – Group of Women
• Titian - Portrait of Benedetto Varchi (c.)
• Qiu Ying – The Imperial examinations

Births

• December 21 - Thomas Schweicker, disabled German painter and calligrapher (died 1602)
• date unknown
• Robert Adams, English architect, engraver and surveyor of buildings to Queen Elizabeth (died 1595)
• Giovanni Anastasi, Italian painter (died 1587)
• Andrea Andreani, Italian wood engraver and early exponent of chiaroscuro (died 1623)
• Giovanni Maria Butteri, Italian fresco painter (died 1606)
• Denis Calvaert, Flemish painter (died 1619)
• Cristoforo Coriolano, German engraver of the Renaissance (died unknown)
• Cristóbal de Acevedo, Spanish painter, active mainly during the Renaissance period (died unknown)
• Annibale Fontana, Italian sculptor and medallist (died 1587)
• Hieronymus Francken I, Flemish painter (died 1610)
• Pieter Pietersz the Elder, Dutch painter (died 1603)
• Friedrich Sustris, Italian-born Dutch painter working in Bavaria (died 1599)
• probable
• Étienne Dumonstier, French Renaissance portrait painter (died 1603)
• George Gower, English portrait painter who became sergeant-painter to Queen Elizabeth I (died 1596)

Deaths

• April 15 - Marguerite Scheppers, painter
• August 24 - Parmigianino, Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker (born 1503)
• November 15 - Rosso Fiorentino, Italian Mannerist painter, in oil and fresco (born 1494)
• date unknown
• Jorge Afonso, Portuguese Renaissance painter (born 1470)
• Barthel Beham, German engraver, miniaturist and painter (born 1502)
• Vincenzo degli Azani, Italian painter (date of birth unknown)
• Gregor Erhart, German sculptor, son of Michel Erhart (born 1470)
• Damià Forment, Spanish sculptor (born 1480)
• Giulio Raibolini, Italian painter (born 1487)
• probable
• Hans Leonhard Schäufelein, German painter, designer, and wood engraver (born 1480)
• Agostino Veneziano, Italian engraver (born 1490)
• Cristóvão de Figueiredo, Portuguese Renaissance painter (date of birth unknown)
• Joos van Cleve, Netherlandish painter (born 1480/1490)
• Hans Springinklee, German wood-engraver (born 1490)
• 1540/1547: Nicola da Urbino - Italian maiolica and ceramicist (born 1480)