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Source Description
The intact condition and unique format of this altarpiece make it a truly remarkable painting. The central panel depicts a stunning Madonna and Child, flanked on the left by half-length figures of St. Peter above St. John the Baptist and, on the right, by St. Paul above St. Francis of Assisi. The Virgin's robe is carved and decorated with gold leaf that shimmered in the candlelight, a surface treatment common in Byzantine paintings. Because of the crescent moon at her feet, the rays emanating from her body, and the gold curling through her cloak, the Virgin seems to hover behind the frame. The molding of the inner frame crops the composition like an open window, offering a glimpse into the sacred, timeless realm beyond. On the back of the left wing are two preparatory drawings by the artist.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
22289
label
Altarpiece with the Virgin and Child with Saints
core
obj
dtoType
drawing
citationUrl
pageCount
5
Source metadata
id
22289
sourceUrl
contentType
drawing
stage
normalized
title
Altarpiece with the Virgin and Child with Saints
description
The intact condition and unique format of this altarpiece make it a truly remarkable painting. The central panel depicts a stunning Madonna and Child, flanked on the left by half-length figures of St. Peter above St. John the Baptist and, on the right, by St. Paul above St. Francis of Assisi. The Virgin's robe is carved and decorated with gold leaf that shimmered in the candlelight, a surface treatment common in Byzantine paintings. Because of the crescent moon at her feet, the rays emanating from her body, and the gold curling through her cloak, the Virgin seems to hover behind the frame. The molding of the inner frame crops the composition like an open window, offering a glimpse into the sacred, timeless realm beyond. On the back of the left wing are two preparatory drawings by the artist.
provenance
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, prior to 1897 [mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 30 as Tuscan School, early 15th century]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
ca. 1410-1420 (Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Painting & Drawing
triptychs
panel paintings
altarpieces
imageCount
5
pageCount
5
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
160
height
77.2
depth
3.1
dimensionsRaw
Central panel H including frame: 63 x W: 30 3/8 x D: 1 1/4 in. (160 x 77.2 x 3.1 cm); Left wing H including frame: 63 1/4 x W: 27 9/16 x D: 1 1/4 in. (160.6 x 70 x 3.1 cm); Right wing H including frame: 63 5/16 x W: 27 5/16 x D: 1 1/4 in. (160.8 x 69.3 x 3.1 cm)
style
Gothic
Source extras
inscriptions
[Transcription] Inscribed on Virgin's halo: AVE MAR[IA] GRATIA PLENA; [Translation] Inscribed on Virgin's halo: Hail Mary full of grace; [Transcription] Inscribed on the bottom left panel
in two roundels: P
E; [Transcription] Inscribed on bottom of right panel
in two roundels: T
R; Inscribed on scroll held by John the Baptist: ECCE/AGNVS/DEI QVI/TOLLIS/PEC[CATA MVNDI]; [Translation] Inscribed on scroll held by John the Baptist: Here is the Lamb of God who eliminates the sins of the world.
med
oil and gold leaf on panel
creator_ids
4919
collection_ids
MED
exhibition_ids
386
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
3292121e032c21a6
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
6142f0d6b040de94
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
1dbaaeb58ebab01f
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
487c70203c8e8c3f
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
5440519b37854b38
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no