Scuola Lombarda (XV) - San Pietro Apostolo

Lombard master of the third quarter of the 15th century

“Saint Peter the Apostle”

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

Milanese-Lombard area, circa 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 symbol of the authority conferred on him by Christ. The apostle, elderly and bearded, wears a green tunic covered by a broad red mantle outlined in gold, and holds his right hand to his chest in a measured and solemn gesture.

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

The work thus blends late Gothic survivals, evident in the linearity, the chromatic preciousness and the gold profiling, with a new Renaissance sensibility in the construction of volume and space. These characteristics orient the attribution toward the Lombard painting culture of the third quarter of the 15th century, circa 1460–1475, in the milieu where the experiences of Zanetto Bugatto, Bonifacio Bembo and the early Vincenzo Foppa intersect.

*** The work presents characteristics of potential museal and documentary-historical interest, in particular for its presumed dating to the third quarter of the 15th century and for belonging to the Lombard figurative culture at the transitional moment between late Gothic tradition and Renaissance language.

The depiction of Saint Peter the Apostle, the quality of the physiognomic characterization, the articulated perspective construction of the environment and the coexistence of late Gothic elements with a new attention to light and space make it a significant document of fourteenth-century Northern Italian painting.

Condition Report

The work presents a fair state of conservation, compatible with the antiquity of the artifact and the nature of the wooden support. The painted surface retains good overall legibility of the figure of Saint Peter and the architectural layout.

There are widespread craquelure, abrasions, wear of the paint film, small gaps and losses of color, more evident along the edges and in some areas of the background and the drapery. Also visible are alterations and surface inhomogeneities plausibly linked to aging of the varnishes and to previous conservation interventions. The gold profiles show physiological wear and localized losses.

The wooden support shows natural signs of time, with irregularities and wear phenomena to be evaluated structurally. The back preserves an extensive ornamental decoration, today partially abraded and affected by deposits, wear, and surface alterations.

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

The frame is provided free of charge and as a courtesy with the work and should therefore be considered an accessory element, not included in the painting’s economic assessment. Due to the natural fragility of antique and gilded frames, any damage, loosening, breakage or losses of parts of the frame occurring during transport or shipping cannot be the subject of reimbursement, indemnity or challenge related to the value of the work. The packing will, however, be prepared with the utmost care to ensure, as far as possible, a safe transport.

Shipped insured and with secure packing
Transport insurance on the declared value

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