| Barbadori Altarpiece | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Filippo Lippi |
| Year | 1438 |
| Medium | oil on panel |
| Dimensions | 208 cm × 244 cm (82 in × 96 in) |
| Location | Louvre, Paris |
The Barbadori Altarpiece is a polyptych painting by Filippo Lippi, commissioned in 1437 and completed in 1438. It is comprised of a main panel followed by a predella. The main panel, Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels with St. Frediano and St. Augustine, is a sacra conversazione that contains flow between each figure to depict a coronation[1].
History
editGherardo di Bartolomeo Barbadori was a wealthy man who belonged to the confraternity of Orsanmichele. In 1429, he died childless and left his heritage to the Captains of Orsanmichele. In his will he requested they build a chapel or altar in a church of their choice in Florence.[2] His tomb was to be placed right below it and for Mass to be held. In 1437, Filippo Lippi was offered 40 florins to create an altarpiece at the Santo Spirito, dedicated to Saint Fridianus.[2] The money was more of an allowance for materials than it was payment.
By the first of April in 1438, Domenico Veneziano wrote a letter to Piero de' Medici claiming the altarpiece as having not been finished yet.[3] However, he was writing from Perugia so it was more likely the information was not up to date. The first Mass was also not served until August of 1439.
In 1810, the painting was disassembled and brought back to France by Napoleonic troops to repress religious guilds.[4] After the 1815 restoration, it was not given back and is now housed in the Louvre Museum of Paris.
Description
editThe panel follows the traditional polyptych pattern only in the upper part, which has arcades and columns. Differently from previous works, Lippi painted the Virgin as standing, and made her the central point of the composition. The Virgin is seen in a contrapposto pose with a belt attaching her baby, Jesus, to her side.[2] The size and placement of the figures is to show hierarchical importance.[1] To achieve this, he experimented with depth of field by inserting items or people in the foreground and background.
It is apparent that Lippi continuously considered frame, color and architecture while painting this piece. The lack of gesso incisions suggests that he wanted to wait to see the full potential of the work as a whole.[5] The body of work strays away from the illusion of a window entering a three-dimensional world. To achieve this, Lippi places the columns out of alignment to the arch of the frame. The detachment draws the viewer back to the figures by covering the bottom of the posts with the two kneeling saints. This also allowed for the frame to be taken away from the artwork and it not affect the meaning of the work.[5]
Filippo Lippi made some alterations to the altarpiece as the process continued. Balusters were added after he had completed some of the architectural elements to enhance the relationship between the figure and the viewer.[5] It is uncommonly recognized that there is a stylized fabric constructed in a drooping fashion that is seen being held between to children. The lines lead the viewer back to the center of the image where the Virgin and her son stand.[5] The visibility of the material is faint as it was later replaced by columns on the left and right to increase depth of field.
Influence
editThe angel on the left pulling up his garment is inspired by Nanni di Banco's group of the "Quattro Coronati", a sculpture in a niche of Orsanmichele. Another element of innovation (introduced at the same time by Fra Angelico) was the lack of a gilded background, replaced by an architectural space with a window opening to hilly landscape, inspired by Flemish contemporary works. The shell-shaped niche in the background is a typical element of 15th century Florentine painting, and especially of Lippi. This one in particular is inspired by one in the Tribunale of the Mercanzie in Orsanmichele, designed by Donatello. This minor addition of landscapes adds a humanizing feel to the overall spiritual and religious painting. This minor addition of landscapes adds a humanizing feel to the overall spiritual and religious painting.
The room has a singular window, creating an uneven objective weight. This style derived from contemporary Flemish paintings which relate to followers of Christ.[6]
The technical changes made throughout Lippi's career were theorized to aid in reinstating the power of religious figures in his work. Depictions of the figures contain features similar to that of a late Gothic approach in the 1430's.[5] However, there are more distinguishable characteristics on the individuals than that of Gothic style. Masaccio was one of the artists to guide Lippi's work towards a more statuesque style.[3]
Predella
editThe work was originally accompanied by a predella, which was returned to Florence after the fall of Napoleon and is now housed in the Uffizi Gallery. The original predella included three panels depicting St. Fridianus Changing the Course of the Serchio, Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin and Arrival of the Apostles, and St. Augustine's Vision of the Holy Spirit.
The patron requested to have St. Fridianus honored through an altar or chapel. Thus, St. Fridianus Changing the Course of the Serchio was placed to the left of the predella. The scene depicted a story of the saint saving a neighboring town from the floods of the River Serchio.[7] The painting discusses the power of faith and prayer. The central predella is a combination of two events, the Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin and Arrival of the Apostles. It is a reflection of the Orsanmichele's duty of preparing someone for their final moments through sacraments.[2]
Predella of the Barbadori Altarpiece
Iconography
editThe kneeling saints are St. Augustine on the right and St. Fridianus on the left. On the far left is a self-portrait of Lippi, identified as the young monk behind the balustrade.[8] He appears detached from the scene by keeping his eyes directly on the viewer. It is painted as a reminder to continue the focus on the sacred scene. It is said to also be reflection of Lippi fighting his own temptations or how he left the Carmelite in an untraditional fashion.[6]
Located at the bottom of the painting, there appears to be a rectangular shadow. The hollow space is said to be a tomb shaped pit. It is possible Lippi was paying homage to the patron, Gherardo di Bartolomeo Barbadori.[9]
Condition
editThe work has a yellow varnish that accentuates the cracked paint. There are also two centimeters of cracks that appear on both sides of the panels that are a sign of restoration. The Virgin and St. Fridianus's faces in particular show aging in their color.[9]
Notes
edit- ^ a b Shell, Curtis (1961). "The Early Style of Fra Filippo Lippi and the Prato Master". The Art Bulletin. 43 (3): 197–209 – via JSTOR.
- ^ a b c d Natsuko, Kuwabara. "Reconsidering the Problem of the Central Predella of the Barbadori Altarpiece by Filippo Lippi" (PDF). The Japanese Society for Aesthetics.
- ^ a b Konody, Paul George (January 20, 2013). "Filippo Lippi". Gutenberg.
- ^ Redazione (April 25, 2023). "Uffizi Diffusi, the predella of Filippo Lippi's Barbadori Altarpiece arrives in Montespertoli". Finestre sulll'Arte.
- ^ a b c d e Ruda, Jeffrey (1982). Filippo Lippi Studies: Naturalism, Style and Iconography in Early Renaissance Art. New York : Garland Pub. ISBN 9780824039400.
- ^ a b "Fra Filippo Lippi Paintings, Bio, Ideas". The Art Story. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Bentley, James (1993). A calendar of saints : the lives of the principal saints of the Christian Year. London: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316908139.
- ^ Zirpolo, Lilian H. (2016). Historical Dictionary of Renaissance Art. Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 82. ISBN 978-1442264670.
- ^ a b Jeffrey, Ruda (1993). Fra Filippo Lippi : life and work with a complete catalogue. London : Phaidon Press. pp. 20-20b. ISBN 9780714823621.
References
edit- De Vecchi, Pierluigi; Elda Cerchiari (1999). I tempi dell'arte. Milan: Bompiani. ISBN 88-451-7212-0.
External links
edit
- Page about the painting (in Italian)