Scuola Lombarda (XV) - San Pietro Apostolo

Lombard Master of the Third Quarter of the 15th Century

“St. Peter the Apostle”

Tempera on panel / Period: 1470-1480
Measurements: 50 x 28 cm

Milanese-Lombard sphere, about 1460–1475
close to the culture of Zanetto Bugatto, Bonifacio Bembo and the early Vincenzo Foppa

- Brief description of the work

The panel depicts Saint Peter the Apostle in full figure, immediately recognizable by the keys, the traditional attribute of the saint and the symbol of the authority conferred on him by Christ. The apostle, elderly and bearded, wears a green robe covered by a large mantle in red outlined in gold and holds his right hand to the chest in a composed and solemn gesture.

The figure is set within an architectural setting constructed perspectively, defined by the floor, the side walls and the wooden ceiling; particularly significant is the shadow cast by the saint, an index of a growing attention to the naturalistic rendering of space.

The work thus combines late Gothic persistences, evident in the linearity, the chromatic splendor and gilded profiles, with a new Renaissance sensibility in the construction of volume and space. These characteristics guide, in an attributive sense, toward the Lombard painting culture of the third quarter of the 15th century, about 1460–1475, in the milieu where the experiences of Zanetto Bugatto, Bonifacio Bembo and the early Vincenzo Foppa intertwine.

*** The work presents characteristics of potential museological and documentary-historical interest, particularly for its presumable placement in the third quarter of the 15th century and for belonging to the Lombard figurative culture at the moment of transition between late Gothic tradition and Renaissance language.

The representation of Saint Peter the Apostle, the quality of the physiognomic characterization, the elaborate construction of perspective of the environment and the coexistence of elements still late-Gothic with a new attention to light and space make it a significant document of painting in northern Italy in the fifteenth century.

Condition Report

The work is in fair conservation condition, compatible with the antiquity of the artifact and the nature of the wooden support. The painted surface preserves a good overall legibility of the figure of Saint Peter and the architectural layout.

There are widespread craquelure, abrasions, wear of the paint film, small losses and color losses, more evident along the margins and in some areas of the background and the drapery. Also visible are alterations and surface inhomogeneities presumably due to varnish aging and previous conservation interventions. The gilded profiles show physiological wear and localized losses.

The wooden support shows natural signs of time, with irregularities and wear phenomena to be assessed directly from a structural perspective. The verso preserves an extensive ornamental decoration, today partially erased and affected by deposits, wear and surface alterations.

- Expertise and certificate of legitimate provenance
- Text and documentation prepared by an antiquarian expert

The frame is provided free of charge as a courtesy with the work and must therefore be considered an accessory element, not included in the economic evaluation of the painting. Given the natural fragility of antique and gilded frames, any damage, detachment, breakage or losses of parts of the frame that occur during transport or shipping cannot be subject to refund, compensation or dispute regarding the value of the work. The packing will nevertheless be prepared with the utmost care to ensure as safe a transport as possible.

Shipping insured and safe packing
Transport insurance at the estimated value

*** For historical-interest reasons the work cannot be shipped outside the European Community