|
|
 |
| The Work of Impruneta, Il Tesoro di Santa Maria |
|
::
Cushion
Tuscan Manifacture, 15th century, before 1477 |
 |
::
The discovery of the sacred image of the Virgin
Florentine Sculptor, Mid 15th century |
|
::
Altar trappings composed of four candleholders and a cross bearer with a cross
Florentine Workshop, Before 1632 |
|
::
Antiphonary (previously called Vesperal 6)
Antonio di Girolamo di Ugolino, 1538-1539. |
|
::
1. Gradual (previously called Antiphonary I)
Lippo di Benivieni, 1315-1320 ca. |
|
::
Basin and jug
Tuscan Manifacture, Datable as 1711 |
|
::
Pyx
Tuscan Manifacture, 16th century |
|
::
Processional cross
Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1425 ca. |
|
::
Reliquary of St. Sixtus
Simone Pignoni, Dated 1614 |
|
::
Pyx
Cosimo Merlini, 1637 |
|
::
Pair of votive vases
Tuscan Manifacture, Second quarter of the 17th century, datable as 1633 |
|
::
Pax
Antonio di Salvi, 1515 |
|
::
Little cape - image cover in canvas
Tuscan Manifacture, 1568 |
|
::
Chasuble
Tuscan Manifacture, Early 18th century |
|
::
Series of two tunicles
Tuscan Manifacture, 17th century |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 1. Gradual (previously called Antiphonary I) |
 |
|
 |
The gradual, composed of 304 pages on parchment, contains the introits,
the graduals, the offertories and all the other hymns related to the
Mass of the first Sunday of Advent up until the Septuagesima. These are
followed by the relative liturgical passages on the agenda mortuorum
and those related to the feast days of St. Andrew, St. Agnes, St.
Agatha, those for St. Peter's See and the Kyrie. The binding is
ancient, formed of flat pieces of wood covered in leather, with metal
studs on the flat surfaces and stamping around the borders and down the
spine.The decoration of the choir book includes 121 illuminated initial letters,
of which 43 are illustrated with stories and 78 simply decorated. This
is the oldest manuscript contained in the collection of the Museum of
Impruneta, and attributed by recent critics to Lippo di Benivieni, a
Florentine artist who is best known for a series of important paintings
on wood and completely unknown as a miniaturist until the attribution
of this choir book.A contemporary of Giotto, Lippo di Benivieni
revived certain elements in Gothic art and used an elegant graphic
design for the ornamentation of the illuminated pages, created with
delicate embellishments that are simplified to such an extent as to be
almost schematic. Although drawn in the same graphic style, the figures
instead stand out from the background of the letter with a plastic and
volumetric strength that points to the hand of an artist dedicated to
large sized paintings though also well informed about the developments
in Florentine contemporary art. The images re-propose the same figures,
rich in pathos, which can be seen in his polyptyches, but here they are
of course on a reduced scale and in many cases appear to be inserted
three-dimensionally within the initial letter, showing a masterly
compositional knowledge. His Christ in Pietà
on parchment 5r is an example of the way the painter managed to express
his loyalty to Gothic styles of painting and his trends towards more
modern forms of expression, while allowing them to coexist. Painted
with a cross in the background, Christ, crowned with stars, is shown
with his glowing halo forming another cross. The right arm of the
figure emerges and rests on the body of the letter, while the head,
lowered and seen from three quarters, is drawn with clear-cut and
vibrant lines that create a monumental and expressive effect.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
