Valle Romita Polyptych
Encyclopedia
The Valle Romita Polyptych (Italian: Polittico di Valle Romita) is a painting by the Italian late Gothic painter Gentile da Fabriano
, dating from c. 1410-1412 and now housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan
. It was originally executed for the Franciscan hermitage of Valle Romita near Gentile's birthplace, Fabriano
.
and moved to Brescia
under Pandolfo III Malatesta
. The presence of elements of the International Gothic
style, and in particular of Michelino da Besozzo (such as the accurate rendering of natural details) has led to sharpen the date to 1410-1412, when the two artists met in Venice
.
The polyptych was disassembled as early as the 18th century. In 1811 the Pinacoteca di Brera acquired the central panel and the lower ones from the hermitage, which had been suppressed. The upper panels were bought from a private collection in 1901. The neo-Gothic frame dates to 1925.
The central panel depicts the Incoronation of the Virgin and, in the lower part, a Trinity and a choir of musician angels. This scene was inspired to the Byzantine mosaics that Gentile had seen at Venice in St. Mark's Basilica, as shown by the figures floating in the air and the shining gold background. The latter is very finely worked. Jesus' garment is drawn over a silver sheet.
The four side panels show figures of saints: from the left are St. Jerome, with a model of the church in his hands, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic and Mary Magdalene. The figures are located in a garden whose botanic species are painted in deep detail. Details include the ampulla (not painted, but engraved in gold) held by Mary Magdalene in her fingers' tips: later, influenced by Masaccio
's realism, Gentile would paint the same subject as firmly hold in Mary's hands in the Quaratesi Polyptych
.
The smaller panels in the upper cusps depict St. John the Baptist Praying in the Desert, the Martyrdom of St. Peter of Verona, a Franciscan Saint Reading and St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata. The scenes include further examples of Gentile's attention to details, such as the quasi-pointillism
technique used to render the wool of the figure in Peter's scene, or the fine hair of St. John's cloth. It is likely that the central cusp originally housed a panel with the Crucifizion, housed in the Pinacoteca's same room. Other small panels with saints, divided among several collections, have been also thought to be once in the side piers of the polyptych, now lost.
Gentile da Fabriano
Gentile da Fabriano was an Italian painter known for his participation in the International Gothic style. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best known works are his Adoration of the Magi and the Flight into Egypt.-Biography:Gentile was born in or near Fabriano,...
, dating from c. 1410-1412 and now housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. It was originally executed for the Franciscan hermitage of Valle Romita near Gentile's birthplace, Fabriano
Fabriano
Fabriano is a town and comune of Ancona province in the Italian region of the Marche, at 325 m above sea-level. It lies in the Esino valley 44 km upstream and SW of Jesi; and 15 km ENE of Fossato di Vico and 36 km east of Gubbio...
.
History
There are no informations about the painting's origins. It could have commissioned by the lord of Fabriano, Chiavello Chiavelli, when in 1406 he had the local convent restored to house his future tomb. The painting would thus date from 1406 to 1414, when Gentile left the MarcheMarche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
and moved to Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
under Pandolfo III Malatesta
Pandolfo III Malatesta
Pandolfo III Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Fano, a member of the famous House of Malatesta.-Biography:...
. The presence of elements of the International Gothic
International Gothic
International Gothic is a phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France and northern Italy in the late 14th century and early 15th century...
style, and in particular of Michelino da Besozzo (such as the accurate rendering of natural details) has led to sharpen the date to 1410-1412, when the two artists met in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
The polyptych was disassembled as early as the 18th century. In 1811 the Pinacoteca di Brera acquired the central panel and the lower ones from the hermitage, which had been suppressed. The upper panels were bought from a private collection in 1901. The neo-Gothic frame dates to 1925.
Description
The polyptych measures 280 x 250 cm, the panels measuring 157.20x79.6 (central one), 117.50x40 (side lower panels) and 48.9x37.8 (upper panels).The central panel depicts the Incoronation of the Virgin and, in the lower part, a Trinity and a choir of musician angels. This scene was inspired to the Byzantine mosaics that Gentile had seen at Venice in St. Mark's Basilica, as shown by the figures floating in the air and the shining gold background. The latter is very finely worked. Jesus' garment is drawn over a silver sheet.
The four side panels show figures of saints: from the left are St. Jerome, with a model of the church in his hands, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic and Mary Magdalene. The figures are located in a garden whose botanic species are painted in deep detail. Details include the ampulla (not painted, but engraved in gold) held by Mary Magdalene in her fingers' tips: later, influenced by Masaccio
Masaccio
Masaccio , born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was the first great painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, Masaccio was the best painter of his generation because of his skill at recreating lifelike figures and movements as well as a convincing sense...
's realism, Gentile would paint the same subject as firmly hold in Mary's hands in the Quaratesi Polyptych
Quaratesi Polyptych
The Quaratesi Polyptych is a painting by the Italian late medieval painter Gentile da Fabriano, now divided between several museums.It was painted by the artist for the Quaratesi family's chapel in the church of San Niccolò Oltrarno, perhaps not a long time after the Strozzi Altarpiece...
.
The smaller panels in the upper cusps depict St. John the Baptist Praying in the Desert, the Martyrdom of St. Peter of Verona, a Franciscan Saint Reading and St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata. The scenes include further examples of Gentile's attention to details, such as the quasi-pointillism
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
technique used to render the wool of the figure in Peter's scene, or the fine hair of St. John's cloth. It is likely that the central cusp originally housed a panel with the Crucifizion, housed in the Pinacoteca's same room. Other small panels with saints, divided among several collections, have been also thought to be once in the side piers of the polyptych, now lost.