Saint Floriano is a

tempera Tempera (), also known as egg tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as egg yolk. Tempera also refers to the paintings done ...

and gold panel painting (79 × 55 cm) by Francesco del Cossa, created circa1472 and on display at the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

in Washington. The work was the upper left panel of the ./

Background

Francesco del Cossa was newly arrived in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

when he received from a commission from the Griffoni family for an altarpiece for the chapel in the

Basilica of San Petronio The Basilica of San Petronio is a minor basilica and church of the Archdiocese of Bologna located in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, northern Italy. It dominates Piazza Maggiore. The basilica is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Petronius of Bol ...

, made in collaboration of another painter from Ferrara,

Ercole de' Roberti Ercole de' Roberti (c. 1451 – 1496), also known as Ercole Ferrarese or Ercole da Ferrara, was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance and the School of Ferrara. He was profiled in Vasari's ''Le Vite delle più eccellenti pittori, sculto ...

. The altarpiece was for dedication of the ''Chapel of St. Vincent Ferrer;''

the saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

having been canonized in 1448 and his cult promoted by the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

. The work remained in the chapel until 1725–1730, when it was disassembled and sold in separate lots.. The two upper panels of

Saint Florian Florian ( la, Florianus; 250 – 304 AD) was a Christians, Christian holy man, and the patron saint of Linz, Austria; chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighting, firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Upper ...

and

Saint Lucy Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia ( la, Sancta Lucia) better known as Saint Lucy, was a Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ...

ended up in

Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. History The city's origins are very ancient. ...

in the collections of Count Ugo Beni around 1858. In 1882 they were put up for sale with the other assets of the Count and purchased by Joseph Spiridon, who placed them on the antiques market. In 1936 they were purchased by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and then donated to the

in 1939. In 1952 the tondo, was also added. In 1935, the polyptych was virtually rebuilt by

Roberto Longhi Roberto Longhi (28 December 1890 – 3 June 1970) was an Italian academic, art historian, and curator. The main subjects of his studies were the painters Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca. Early life and career Longhi was born in December 18 ...

, in his work, '.

Description

The basis of the panel depicts Saint Florian standing holding a sword with one foot propped up on a stone

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

. The different typology of the background (gold compared to the sky and figures of the lower panels) raised doubts that the work was part of the

polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a painting (usually panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Specifically, a "diptych" is a two-part work of art; a "triptych" is a three-part work; a tetrapty ...

. However, placed on the top left panel, opposite Lucy, the panel of Florian fits, observing the panel of Vincent Ferrer in the central panel and the rest of the altarpiece. The saint holds a red rose in his hand and the lace hanging from his neck recalls his martyrdom, drowning tied to a millstone. Reflecting the influence of

Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca (, also , ; – 12 October 1492), originally named Piero di Benedetto, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. To contemporaries he was also known as a mathematician and geometer. Nowadays Piero della Francesca i ...

, del Cossa's rendition of Florian figure is solemn and regal with attention is given to the anatomical and naturalistic rendering of the subject. This is best seen in the soft gestures and in the rendering of the hands. The striking stance, with the oval of the red cape and by the shortened circle that draws the wavy line of the edge of the petticoat. The pattern of his boot shows Yoshimura buckling.

References

External links

* {{authority control Collections of the National Gallery of Art Paintings of saints Renaissance paintings

Background

Description

See also

References

External links