The Bovo Altarpiece

The altarpiece for Altabella Avogaro dal Bovo comes from the family chapel in San Fermo. Accompanying the Madonna and Child are saints Onuphrius, Jerome, Zeno and Christopher. The wood frame with candelabra and friezes carved in relief bears the family arms and tiny figures of the Virgin Annunciate, archangel Gabriel and God the Father. At the bottom of the composition the donor, portrayed with unflinching realism, appears in profile. In this work too the contours of the figures and colors are sharp and precise. Aspects such as the rough profiles of the saints and narrative details like the dates on the palm of Saint Christopher indicate the artist’s attention to popular culture.