Tomb of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci
Encyclopedia
The Tomb of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci (or Brancaccio) is a sculptural work in the church of Sant'Angelo a Nilo
in Naples
, southern Italy, executed by Donatello
and Michelozzo
around 1426-1428. Built in marble, partly gilt and polychrome, it has a height of 11.60 meters and a width of 4.60.
, from where the pieces of the tomb could be more easily shipped to Naples by sea; the city was also nearer to the marble quarries of Carrara
. Assistants, including perhaps Pagno di Lapo Portigiani
, collaborated to the work, which was completed and sent to its destination in 1428.
from which two composite columns start. They support a round arch with side pendentive
s decorated by chamfered pilasters and tondo reliefs. At the top is the cusp, in Gothic style with, at the centre, a relief tondo of "Christ Redeemer" and two statues of puttos with trumpets (an allusion to the biblical Apocalypse
and the resurrection of the dead).
The tomb itself is enclosed in the architectural frame, supported by three caryatid
s. The sarcophagus' front has two coat of arms at the sides, and a stiacciato relief of the "Assumption of the Virgin" executed by Donatello. Above it is the lying portrait of the cardinal and two angels who are opening a stone drapery hanging from the arch. Behind them is a lunette
with a bas-relief of the "Madonna between Two Saints".
Sant'Angelo a Nilo
Sant'Angelo a Nilo is a church in Naples, Italy. It is known for containing the monumental tomb of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci by Donatello and Michelozzo, one of the major sculptural works in the city....
in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, southern Italy, executed by Donatello
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi , also known as Donatello, was an early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence...
and Michelozzo
Michelozzo
thumb|250px|[[Palazzo Medici]] in Florence.Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi was an Italian architect and sculptor.-Biography:...
around 1426-1428. Built in marble, partly gilt and polychrome, it has a height of 11.60 meters and a width of 4.60.
History
The work was produced during the partnership of Donatello and Michelozzo, which lasted from 1425 until the late 1430s. It was commissioned when Brancacci was still alive: a letter to him of 5 June 1427 mentions the work as completed for some one quarter. In 1426 the two rented a workshop in PisaPisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, from where the pieces of the tomb could be more easily shipped to Naples by sea; the city was also nearer to the marble quarries of Carrara
Carrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
. Assistants, including perhaps Pagno di Lapo Portigiani
Pagno di Lapo Portigiani
Pagno di Lapo Portigiani was an Italian Renaissance decorative sculptor, a minor follower of Donatello who worked on numerous occasions in projects designed and supervised by Michelozzo.-Biography:...
, collaborated to the work, which was completed and sent to its destination in 1428.
Description
The work is based on a socleSocle (architecture)
In architecture, a socle is a short plinth used to support a pedestal, sculpture or column. In the field of archaeology, this term is used to refer to a wall base, frequently of stone, that supports the upper part of the wall, which is made of a different material, frequently mud brick...
from which two composite columns start. They support a round arch with side pendentive
Pendentive
A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points at the bottom and spread at the top to establish the continuous circular or...
s decorated by chamfered pilasters and tondo reliefs. At the top is the cusp, in Gothic style with, at the centre, a relief tondo of "Christ Redeemer" and two statues of puttos with trumpets (an allusion to the biblical Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
and the resurrection of the dead).
The tomb itself is enclosed in the architectural frame, supported by three caryatid
Caryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s. The sarcophagus' front has two coat of arms at the sides, and a stiacciato relief of the "Assumption of the Virgin" executed by Donatello. Above it is the lying portrait of the cardinal and two angels who are opening a stone drapery hanging from the arch. Behind them is a lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
with a bas-relief of the "Madonna between Two Saints".