Cosimo Tura

Cosmè Tura (Italian pronunciation: [koˈzmɛ tˈtuːra]; c. 1430 – 1495), also known as Il Cosmè or Cosimo Tura, was an Italian early-Renaissance (or Quattrocento) painter and considered one of the founders of the School of Ferrara. He provided a great contribution to the Renaissance in Ferrara.

Born in Ferrara, of humble origins, he was the son of a shoemaker named Domenico. There is no record of Cosmè's apprenticeship, which Vasari linked to the mysterious artist Galasso Galassi of Ferrara, an elusive and thinly documented figure, linked by friendship to Piero della Francesca.

The first historical documents concerning him are dated to the years 1451–1452, when he decorated some objects for the court of the ruling Este family, Dukes of Ferrara, such as flags bearing coats of arms of the family destined for display at the Castle, or a helmet to be awarded as a tournament prize. Such works as these were a staple among the commissions received by an artist's workshop in the day and represented a major source of income. It may also be that Tura was able to find work among the court illuminators.