Fugit in solitudinem (1835) by Giovanni Battista BertiniVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
Belonging to the group of modern windows dating back to the first half of the 19th century, the panel entitled Fugit in solitudinem is a work by Giovanni Battista Bertini.
In 1833, Bertini obtained a three-year contract for the stained-glass windows restorations and renovations from the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo.
Stained-glass window of the Apocalypse (1416-1482; 1834-1838) by Stefano da Pandino, Maffiolo da Cremona, Franceschino Zavattari, Giovanni Recalcado, Cristoforo de’ Mottis, Michelino da Besozzo (?), Niccolò da Varallo, Stefano da Marliano, Battista da Legnano, Stefano Bergognone dal Furno, Giorgio d’Anversa, Giovanni Battista BertiniVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
In 1835, he took on the role to work on the window in the middle of the area behind the choir, which required 48 new panels for the lower section with figures from the Book of Revelation and eight pieces representing the Prophets.
Apse stained-glass window of the "Apocalypse"Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
Fugit in solitudinem (1835) by Giovanni Battista BertiniVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
In this group of works, Bertini completed the panel entitled Fugit in Solitudinem, which depicts the Woman of the Apocalypse crowned with stars who fled to the wilderness when chased by the infernal dragon.
The image of the Woman Crowned with Stars was painted based on Theology by Raphael in the Stanza della Segnatura of the Vatican (1508–11).
In technical terms, Bertini "made the pieces bigger than anyone had ever dared to before, so as to make the whole heads look tough and truly large ... combined on the same piece of glass in various colors..."
" ...–as in the Woman Crowned with Stars–painted the flesh with such powerful colors … it was as if he had used a brush on canvas.” (Sacchi, 1835).
As far as we know, Fugit in Solitudinem was never installed, and is today preserved in Milan Duomo Museum.
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