Two kneeling saints (one of two)

The second half of the fifteenth century in Lombardy saw, in
sculpture, a movement toward Renaissance, notable for its highly original
language: the so-called "Mantegazza style", named after the two
sculptor brothers Cristoforo and Antonio Mantegazza. Their style was characterised by a harsh
way of sculpting, which crumples the drapery on the figures, abandoning the
sweet, flowing lines of late Gothic sculpture. The Two
Kneeling Saints entered the Museum collections from the suppressed Milanese
church of the Cagnola and are attributed to Antonio Mantegazza for their
remarkable quality. The
emaciated faces and the force with which the draperies fall on the lean bodies
of the figures convey a unique drama and expressiveness, typical of the style
of the two Lombard sculptors.