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Rofeno Abbey Poliptych. Saint Michael the Archangel slaying the Dragon between Saints Bartholomew and Benedict; Madonna with Child, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Ludwig of Tolouse (in the cusps);

Ambrogio Lorenzetti1330 - 1335

Fondazione Musei Senesi

Fondazione Musei Senesi
Siena, Italy

The painting is attributed to the great Sienese artist Ambrogio Lorenzetti (known from 1319 to 1348).
The panel, recently restored, is now separated from the rich carpentry encarved with "ancient style" motifs by Fra' Raffaele da Brescia in which it was re-assembled in the early 16th century; probably in that period it was also settled from its original setting to the Rofeno church. The impressive image of St. Michael the Archangel, rendered in dynamic action elegant, struggling with the dragon described in the Apocalypse, is emphasized by the fluttering of the fine bi-coloured mantle and almost enclosed in the embrace of its broad wings. The articulation of the scene, playing in a curvilinear and enveloping rhythms, is exalted by rich, elegant colours. The masterpiece, quoted also by Vasari, was considered as a model for many successive painters.

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  • Title: Rofeno Abbey Poliptych. Saint Michael the Archangel slaying the Dragon between Saints Bartholomew and Benedict; Madonna with Child, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Ludwig of Tolouse (in the cusps);
  • Creator Lifespan: ca. 1285 - 1348
  • Creator Nationality: Italian
  • Creator Gender: male
  • Creator Death Place: Siena
  • Creator Birth Place: Siena
  • Date Created: 1330 - 1335
  • painter: Ambrogio Lorenzetti
  • collocation: Asciano, Palazzo Corboli Civic Archeological Museum, Province of Siena
  • Place Part Of: Province of Siena
  • Physical Dimensions: w230 x h258 cm
  • Artist Biography: Ambrogio Lorenzetti, one of the protagonists of early fourteenth-century Sienese painting together with his brother Pietro, is responsible for a crucial development in Sienese art, moving from the tradition inherited from Duccio towards a Gothic style, incorporating the innovations in Florence introduced by Giotto and Arnolfo di Cambio. By now at the peak of his career, he was called to paint the frescoes of the Sala della Pace in Palazzo Pubblico, his undisputed masterpiece; this enterprise confirmed him as the leading artist in the city and the Sienese government’s ‘official painter.’ Like so much of the Sienese population, Ambrogio too seems to have fallen victim to the Black Plague of 1348.
  • Type: tempera on panel
  • Rights: Comune di Asciano; Fondazione Musei Senesi, Fondazione Musei Senesi
  • External Link: Fondazione Musei Senesi
Fondazione Musei Senesi

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