Melozzo da Forlì (
mālôt'tsō dä fōrlē'), 1438-94, Umbrian painter. His extant works, though few, reveal him as a painter of power and individuality. He is especially notable for his bold foreshortening, in the use of which, particularly in vaultings, he was a pioneer. His known works include the great fresco of the
Ascension, in the cupola of the Church of the Santi Apostoli, Rome (Quirinal Palace, Rome); a fresco,
Pope Sixtus IV Giving Custody of the Vatican Library to Platina, painted for the Vatican Library, and
Angels Making Music, a fragment (Vatican).