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Circle of Pietro Cavallini - St. Bartholomew - 14th century Fresco
About the Item
Circle of Pietro Cavallini (Rome, 1250–1330)
St. Bartholomew
Fresco transferred onto canvas
Umbria, 14th century
66.5 x 40 cm
Provenance:
Collection of Raymond Van Marle (The Hague, 1887 – Perugia, 1936), Solomeo (Perugia, Italy)
Bibliography:
Federico Zeri Foundation - University of Bologna; Federico Zeri Photo Archive No. 10429
Alinari - Brogi Archive: BGA-F-025726-0000
Photographer: Brogi, 1936, Corciano, Solomeo, private collection of Raymond Van Marle
St. Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, is depicted here holding a book and a knife, symbolizing his martyrdom by flaying. According to the Golden Legend, the saint’s appearance is described as follows: “His hair is black and crisped, his skin fair, his eyes wide, his nose even and straight, his beard thick with a few grey hairs; he is of medium stature.”
This fresco captures delicate realism in the saint’s facial wrinkles, hair, and drapery, evoking the nascent whispers of Renaissance artistry. The Byzantine linear treatment of the drapery is minimized, replaced by rounded modeling, while the traditional linear definition of facial features is completely abandoned. The work demonstrates unprecedented spatial clarity and a sculptural approach, with a directional use of light that molds and reveals the figure rather than simply decorating it.
The artist’s ambition to overcome the flatness characteristic of 13th-century Italian painting is evident in the volumetric plasticity of the forms. Pietro Cavallini’s style integrates classical Roman elements with the Byzantine artistic tradition, alongside northern Gothic influences, creating a vivid and naturalistic approach to painting.
Attribution:
The fresco was first attributed to Pietro Cavallini by Raymond Van Marle, who published a monograph on the painter in 1921. This hypothesis was later corroborated by Federico Zeri, a prominent Italian art historian, who cataloged the work in his photothèque archives at the University of Bologna. Zeri attributed it to an Umbrian artist influenced by Cavallini, working alongside him.
This attribution aligns with broader discussions about the frescoes in Assisi, which Bruno Zanardi ascribed to Pietro Cavallini and his circle. While Giorgio Vasari credited the Assisi frescoes to Giotto, claiming he single-handedly initiated the Renaissance, Zanardi and Zeri suggest that Cavallini collaborated with local Umbrian artists, profoundly influencing the region's artistic production.
Zanardi’s detailed analysis of techniques and materials used in the Assisi frescoes supports this conclusion. Unlike traditional art history, which relies on stylistic assessment, Zanardi’s methodology examined chemical compositions, workshop practices, and brushstroke techniques, reinforcing Cavallini’s influence on the project.
Historical Context:
For much of the 20th century, no paintings by Cavallini were thought to survive, and his work was known primarily through Vasari’s Lives, which mistakenly identified him as Giotto’s disciple. Panofsky later suggested that Cavallini, as much as Cimabue, could claim to be Giotto’s master, given his transformative Roman experience.
Cavallini’s most famous works, such as the frescoes in Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, Rome (circa 1290), reveal his classicizing tendencies and mastery of soft color harmonies and shading. These frescoes, particularly the seated apostles, exemplify his ability to define space with solid, three-dimensional forms. Later, in Naples, Cavallini absorbed Gothic influences under the patronage of Charles of Anjou.
Although many of Cavallini’s Roman works are lost, his legacy survives through his students and their contributions to medieval Italian painting. The rediscovery of Cavallini’s Santa Cecilia frescoes marked a turning point, leading scholars to recognize his pivotal role in the artistic revival of Rome preceding Giotto. His majestic figures, imbued with weight and volume, bridged the Byzantine tradition and the naturalistic Renaissance style.
Margaret Field aptly summarized Cavallini’s influence, stating, “Cavallini was to the Roman school what Giotto was to the Florentine and Duccio to the Sienese.”
Provenance and Historical Significance:
This fresco comes from the prestigious collection of Raymond Van Marle, an art historian and connoisseur who lived in Perugia. Van Marle, a prolific writer and researcher, authored the seminal Development of the Italian Schools of Painting (21 volumes) and several studies on iconography. His collection, including this fresco, was documented in the Alinari-Brogi archive in 1936.
Van Marle’s contributions to art history were groundbreaking. He emphasized the importance of combining archival research with connoisseurship and frequently made new discoveries and attributions. His encyclopedic knowledge and humanist approach earned him comparisons to Erasmus of Rotterdam.
This fresco, with its documented provenance and historical significance, represents a vital link in the evolution of Italian medieval and early Renaissance art, bridging the styles of Pietro Cavallini and his contemporaries.
- Dimensions:Height: 26.19 in (66.5 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 0.79 in (2 cm)
- Style:Medieval (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:14th century
- Condition:Replacements made: Fresco transferred onto canvas. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Bruxelles, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6666242566032
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