Search	The Work of San Casciano Val di Pesa, Museo di Arte Sacra :: Processional cross Tuscan Manifacture, Late 14th century - early 15th century :: Martyrdom of St. Lucy Giovan Camillo Ciabilli, Late 17th century :: Thurible Tuscan Manifacture, Dated 1775 :: Navicule Tuscan Manifacture, Dated 1775 :: Madonna and Child Gino Micheli da Castello, Dated 1341 :: Sculpted Column Master of Cabestany, Second half of the 12th century :: Chasuble Tuscan Manifacture, 16th century and late 15th century-16th century :: Cope Tuscan Manifacture, Late 17th century :: Madonna and Child Lippo di Benivieni, Second decade of the 14th century :: Coronation of the Virgin Neri di Bicci, Dated 1476 and 1481 :: The Archangel St. Michael and stories from the legend of his life Coppo di Marcovaldo, 1250-1260 ca. :: St. Anthony Abbot, St. Sebastian and St. Rocchus Master of Tavarnelle, 1510-1515 ca. :: Madonna and Child Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Dated 1319	.:. works .:. artists Martyrdom of St. Lucy Late 17th century Giovan Camillo Ciabilli San Casciano Val Di Pesa, Museum of Religious Art Oil on canvas; 230 x 180cm. Source: Church of Santa Maria del Gesł.   The museum arrangement at San Casciano Val di Pesa has maintained, as in other cases, the original position of the great canvas of the Martyrdom of St. Lucy that decorates the altar of the old Sacristy, which today hosts the most precious paintings in the collection. This painting is attributed to Giovan Camillo Ciabilli, a student of the Florentine artist Simone Pignoni, who headed an important school of painting in the 17th century.Carried out in oils, the painting illustrates the most tragic moment in the martyrdom of St. Lucy, with the soldier about to plunge his sword into her throat and thus put an end to her suffering after all the torture she had borne.The Saint is not waiting passively for the blow, but almost aggressively faces the man who is about to attack her so violently; with a quick movement, she instinctively bends backwards, turning her body away and looking up towards two angels in the sky who are offering her the crown and palm leaf of martyrdom. We can see a glowing fire behind her back, in reference to one of the tortures she suffered, and Lucy appears to realise that it is there and therefore tries not to fall backwards, keeping her body in vibrant balance. Her face however does not express terror or resignation, but her inmost soul seems almost to have already left her body that still rebels against death, watching the arrival of the angels in rapture and trust. This is a fine painting characterised by its diagonally designed composition and by the strong contrasts of light and shade that either swallow up the figures or allow them to emerge, thus giving the vibrancy to the bright colours of the fluttering clothes. This typically Baroque play of light allows the observer to understand the essence of Lucy's earthly and spiritual experience at once and immediately recalls the painting of Pignoni. However the colour is not as thick, the chromatic tones are colder and the flight of the cherubs descending from Heaven is a motif that almost anticipates the styles of the century that follows. back print
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