1540 in art

Events from the year 1540 in art.

Works

 * Ardabil Carpets
 * Francesco de' Rossi – Rodolfo Pio da Carpi (approximate date)
 * Hans Holbein the Younger
 * Portrait of Henry VIII (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, approximate date)
 * Miniature Portrait of Catherine Howard
 * 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)