Scuola CRETO-VENETA di inizio QUATTROCENTO

Author: Venetian-Cretan or Crete-Venetian School Extremely rare tempera with a gold background painted on wood panel depicting: Madonna and Child crowned by Angels with Saints Nicholas and John the Baptist (large upper panel) and the Baptism of Christ (central lower panel) and Saint George (lower right and left panels) Venetian-Cretan (or Crete-Venetian) School of the early Fifteenth Century Dimensions: height cm. 60 - width cm. 44 - average thickness of the panel: cm. 2.3 A masterpiece of absolute museum value in perfect condition Price: € 33,000.00 Critical essay and historical-artistic expertise by PROF. GIOVANNI MORSIANI The work, absolutely original and of high era, is a walnut panel painted in tempera on a gold background (divided into a larger upper panel and three smaller lower panels, the two lateral ones identical in size). It is a rather complex author's proof in terms of historical-artistic conception and religious symbolism, which immediately fascinates the observer's eye due to the archaic and ancient atmosphere it creates, the mastery of the depiction, the miniaturistic and delicate detail of the figures, and the harmonic composition of the scene. A true art book "open to the past," which has miraculously crossed the centuries and history, conceived, composed, and painted "on wood" by an anonymous master, whose complex cultural formation appears here not only pictorial but also historical, philosophical, and religious. In the large upper panel, the work opens to the purest face of the "Virgin crowned by Angels," depicted with dark and "kohl-rimmed" eyes in the oriental style, a long and slender nose, an olive complexion, and the smooth skin of a still young woman, with rich robes, fashioned in the oriental style and with finely emphasized drapery. The Madonna's right hand, with its long, delicate, and tapered fingers, placed exactly below the blessing right hand of the Child (centrally located in correspondence with the "golden barycenter" of the scene), presents and indicates the Son (according to the compositional style that defines the "Madonna Odigitria," that is, "she who shows the world the direction, the path of Truth and Life"), gently welcoming him into her arms and holding him seated on her left knee. The "Child," with well-proportioned features and a "mature" gaze, is captured in the act of raising his right hand to bless with the index and middle fingers joined, while in his left hand, he presents a book (which symbolizes the Word of God, that "ego sum Via Veritas" which means "through me one attains Truth, through me, if you have Faith, you can one day observe the True Face of God"). On the right of the painting, we see "Saint John the Baptist," who will have the task of baptizing Christ on the banks of the Jordan (as the lower panel of the work shows us). The Baptist is represented with his arms crossed over his chest in adoration. The heavy drapery of his non-rich garments indicates his poor origin and his status as an ascetic. On the left of the painting, we can see the figure of "Saint Nicholas of Bari," here represented in episcopal robes, without the mitre but with the book of Celestial Gifts symbolized by the coins imprinted on the book's cover that he holds with his left hand and presents with his right. As we will see, he was the bishop of Myra (now Demre), a city situated in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Empire, located in present-day Turkey. He is also known outside the Christian world because his figure gave rise to the myth of "Santa Claus" (or Klaus or Sankt Niklaus), and, starting in the last two centuries, "Father Christmas." He is also known in Italy as San Nicolò and, in the North East regions, he usually brings gifts on the night between December 5th and 6th. In the two lower right and left panels, of equal size, we see two iconographic representations of "Saint George" killing the dragon (the most famous iconography, later than the X-XI centuries) with the classic drawn lance that pierces the monster (left panel) and killing a man (right panel) according to the iconography in force instead until the XI century (much less known than the traditional one). Regarding the stories of Saint George, until that time, there was indeed no reference to the killing of a dragon: the saint was venerated simply as a soldier-martyr who had converted the infidel peoples. For this reason, at least until then, the traditional image that represented him was of a knight intent on piercing a man, a symbol of the "pagan persecutor and heresy." It is no coincidence that the two figures of Saint George are both converging towards the larger central panel, protecting its most salient meaning: that is, the reunification of the two churches, the Eastern and the Western (represented here by the "Baptism of Christ"). The central panel, placed below the Marian image, depicts precisely the "Baptism of Christ." Saint John the Baptist, on the left, is captured in the act of sprinkling water on the head of Jesus, immersed almost up to the waist in the water of the Jordan River. On the right, three Angels are grouped together, of which the central one is only intuited by the presence of the halo, while the one closest to Jesus, with wings, is depicted in the act of offering Christ a cloth to dry him. This character is the Guardian Angel who, according to Christian tradition, begins to accompany us immediately after Baptism. Just above the head of Christ, we notice a crescent moon of bright red color with three rays of lower light in the shape of a "V" (to symbolize the Holy Trinity). The artist tells us in this way that it is the Holy Spirit that hovers over the entire scene, with its "solar heat" which becomes "the Light of God that illuminates the world." Notes to the Critical Essay The "Madonna Odigitria," more correctly Odegetria (from ancient Greek ὸδηγήτρια, that is "she who instructs," who "shows the direction"), otherwise also known as Virgin Odigitria, Theotókos Odigitria, Panag[h]ía Odigitria and Madonna dell'Itria, is a type of Christian iconography widespread in particular in Byzantine, Venetian-Cretan, and Russian art of the medieval and late-medieval period. The iconography consists of the Madonna with baby Jesus in her arms seated in a blessing act, holding a rolled parchment or a book, indicated by the Virgin with her right hand (hence the origin of the epithet). Iconographic history: this figurative theme originates from the homonymous icon which represented, starting from the 5th century, one of the major objects of worship in Constantinople. According to hagiography, in fact, this relic was one of the Marian icons painted by the evangelist Luke that Elia Eudocia (Aelia Eudocia, circa 401-460), wife of Emperor Theodosius II, found in the Holy Land and transported to Byzantium. The icon was kept in the homonymous basilica which was built for the occasion by the sea, in a decentralized position compared to the complex consisting of the imperial palace, the circus and the two churches of Hagia Sophia and Saint Irene. The original icon, which was carried in solemn processions and during triumphs, was lost when Constantinople fell into the hands of the Ottomans in 1453. Some reports - historically of dubious reliability - report that the icon broke, while it was being carried in procession, on May 28, 1453, exactly the day before the fall of the city which was undergoing the final siege by the army of Mehmed II. The cult of this icon was particularly popular: churches and places of worship are dedicated to it, especially in Greece and southern Italy. The Baptism of Jesus in Christianity refers to the Baptism received by Jesus from John the Baptist, as narrated in the Gospel according to Mark (1,9-11), in the Gospel according to Matthew (3,13-17) and in the Gospel according to Luke (3,21-22). The event is remembered as the first of the “Mysteries of Light” of which the Holy Rosary is composed. The feast of the Baptism of Jesus is celebrated by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church on the Sunday falling from January 7th to 13th. Evangelical accounts The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is narrated in the synoptic gospels, while the Gospel according to John presents the testimony by John the Baptist of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus but does not speak of his baptism. The episode is placed within the activity of John the Baptist, who baptizes the people in the waters of the Jordan. In the Gospel according to Mark Jesus goes from Nazareth (in Galilee) to the banks of the Jordan, where he is baptized by John the Baptist. Coming out of the water, he sees the heavens open and the Spirit descend upon him like a dove, while a "Voice from Heaven" is heard saying «You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased». Also in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus goes from Galilee to the banks of the Jordan to be baptized by John; in this gospel, however, it is also narrated how John the Baptist tries to prevent him from doing so by telling him «I need to be baptized by you and you come to me?», but Jesus convinces him by answering him «Let it be so now, because it is fitting that we should fulfill all righteousness». As in Mark, also in Matthew, Jesus, coming out of the waters, sees the sky open and the Spirit of God descend in the form of a dove, while a voice from heaven states «This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased». In the Gospel according to Luke "all the people" are baptized and Jesus is also baptized; while he is gathered in prayer, the sky opens and the Holy Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove, while a heavenly voice is heard saying «You are my beloved son, in you I am well pleased». In the Gospel according to John, on the other hand, not only is Baptism not mentioned, but only the descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove or of “divine light” (see the table under examination). John the Baptist in fact testifies saying that he who had sent him to baptize with water had warned him that he on whom he would see the Spirit descend to remain would be the one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit (instead of in water as John), and that he had see the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove on Jesus and had recognized him as the son of God. Interpretation There are important differences between the three accounts of the Gospels which indicate a different christology. On the one hand, the Baptism of Jesus must necessarily have a meaning and a purpose that is very different from the baptism of John, which was a baptism for the remission of sins. In fact, Jesus was without sin and therefore could not undergo an act that was a symbol of repentance. To John, who did not want to baptize him, Jesus said: "Let it be so, this time, because it is fitting that in this way we fulfill all that is right." Mt 3.15. On the other hand, the Baptism of Jesus is different from the current Christian sacrament. The latter has above all the meaning of making the baptized a child of God and a member of the Church. And also to purify him of original sin. All four canonical gospels speak of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. Here is how the Gospel of Matthew presents it (3,13-17): "At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. As soon as he was baptized, Jesus came out of the water: and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Baptism of Jesus manifests his divine nature: in the world the Son of God incarnate in the human form has appeared. This is the Epiphany. God appears at the same time under three hypostases: God-Son - Jesus, God-Holy Spirit - descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, God-Father - manifested himself through his voice. Here is the Epiphany of the Most Holy Trinity (Trinity "novotestamentaria"). Shown here by cosmic rays by the V shape. Having received Baptism, Jesus went into the desert and there he fasted for forty days. And the devil tempted him three times. But Jesus overcame the temptations and, having returned to Galilee, began his teaching. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; for this he has consecrated me with an anointing, and has sent me to announce good news to the poor, to proclaim liberation to the prisoners and sight to the blind... (Lk 4.18). From this moment Jesus appears as Messiah (from the Hebrew mashijah - "anointed", in Greek "Christ"). His great service begins. The images of the Baptism of the Lord, also called the Epiphany (of our Lord Jesus Christ), were very popular in Russian, Greek - Orthodox and Venetian-Cretan sacred representations. One of the examples of icons of this type is the image of the Epiphany of Novgorod, end of the XV - beginning of the XVI century. The logical and compositional center of the icon is the figure of Christ. Jesus Christ, stripped, receives the Baptism of purification in the Jordan: according to the fixed iconography, on the left bank of the Jordan River is presented John the Baptist, on the right bank of the angels (their number on the icons of the Epiphany varies from three to four). The Angels, represented in the images of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, personify the godparents, whose task is to welcome the "baptized" when they come out of the water. One of them (generally the one closest to Christ) is the Guardian Angel who accompanies the Christian throughout his life. The figures of the Angels "build", so to speak, the steps of the stairs, which rise from the earth towards the Heaven. The banks of the Jordan also rise steeply. Everything is directed upwards. And in the center of everything is Jesus Christ. The Epiphany. It is useful to remember that the term ἐπιφάνεια was already used by the ancient Greeks to indicate the action or manifestation of any deity (through miracles, visions, signs, etc.) But the painting also has a strong symbolic value and alludes to some historical events, which have helped to hypothesize a dating. The best known is the one concerning the reunification between the Eastern Church and the Western Church (Orthodox and Latin), which took place in 1439, thanks to the Council of Florence. The three angels on the left, who hold each other very closely as a symbol of harmony, refer to this circumstance, and the image of Jesus blessed in the center of the Jordan, reconciliating bridge between East and West. And, according to many historians, the symbolic final act of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Era. Saint John (the) the Baptist (in Hebrew Iehôh&257;n&257;n, in Greek Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος [John the Forerunner], in Latin Ioannes Baptista) was an ascetic from a poor Jewish priestly family originally from the mountainous region of Judea and founder of a Baptist community that was at the origin of some religious movements of the first century AD such as the Christian community founded by Jesus of Nazareth and the Samaritan Gnostic communities founded by Dositeo, Simon Magus and Menandro. Saint John the Baptist, venerated by all Christian Churches and considered a saint by all those who admit the cult of the Saints, is one of the most important personalities of the Gospels. According to Christianity, his life and preaching are constantly intertwined with the work of Jesus Christ; together with the latter, John the Baptist is also present in the Koran with the name of Yaḥy&257; as one of the greatest prophets who preceded Muhammad. He died around 35 AD. The life of St. John the Baptist according to Christian tradition. The main source on the life and figure of the Baptist are the Gospels. They state that he was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, cousin of Mary, therefore cousin of Jesus, and was generated when his parents were elderly. The news can be interpreted as emphasizing the exceptional nature of the character (children of elderly parents were also Isaac, son of Abraham, and, according to later traditions, Mary). His birth was announced by the same archangel Gabriel who gave the announcement to Mary; when she went to visit Elizabeth, the unborn child leaped for joy in his mother's womb. For having known Jesus directly and for having announced his arrival even before he was born, John is remembered as "the greatest of the prophets". Luke places him in a very precise historical framework, giving us the names of the political protagonists of that time (Gospel according to Luke 3, 1-2), which can be traced back to the period corresponding to the years 27 and 28 after Christ, the fifteenth year of the empire of Tiberius.On the occasion of the visit of his cousin Mary, Elizabeth was allegedly in her sixth month of pregnancy; this has made it possible to fix the birth of John three months after the conception of Jesus and therefore six months before his birth; from Augustine we know that the celebration of John's birth on June 24 was very ancient in the African Catholic Church: the only saint, together with the Virgin Mary, of whom not only death is celebrated (the dies natalis, that is, the birth to eternal life), but also the earthly birth [6] and, for the Churches of the East, the conception between 23 and 25 September. The Baptist died as a result of his preaching. He publicly condemned the conduct of Herod Antipas, who lived with his sister-in-law Herodias; the king first had him imprisoned, then, to please Herodias' beautiful daughter, Salome, who had danced at a banquet, had him beheaded. Saint John Beheaded. Death by beheading has meant that John the Baptist has also become famous as “Saint John Beheaded.” The celebration of the martyrdom of John the Baptist or celebration of Saint John Beheaded is set for August 29 (probable date of the discovery of the relic of the head of the Baptist). Many churches, places of worship and cities are dedicated to this saint. The Assumption into Heaven of Saint John the Baptist. Some ancient psalms supported the idea that John the Baptist had been assumed into Heaven at the time of Christ's Resurrection. In this regard, Pope John XXIII, in May 1960, on the occasion of the homily for the canonization of Gregory Barbarigo, showed his prudent adherence to this "pious belief" according to which the Baptist, like Saint Joseph, would have risen in body and soul and ascended with Jesus to Heaven at the Ascension. The biblical reference would be in Matthew 27, 52-53 «... the tombs were opened and many bodies of dead saints rose. And, coming out of the tombs, after his resurrection, they entered the Holy City and appeared to many.» The relics. According to the tradition of the Catholic Church, the head of the saint is now kept in the church of San Silvestro in Capite in Rome. The relic, which arrived in Rome during the pontificate of Innocent II (1130-1143), was carried in procession every year by four archbishops until 1411. The skull kept in Rome is without the mandible, kept in the cathedral of San Lorenzo in Viterbo. Another tradition claimed instead that the head was kept in the cathedral of Amiens and in the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul his head and his arm would be kept. Nevertheless, the veracity of the Roman relic is commonly recognized, Oliviero Iozzi went so far as to "demonstrate" the authenticity of the skull and mandible of the Baptist kept in Italy [8]. It must be said that the three alleged heads of the Baptist are not composed of whole skulls but of some parts more or less large joined with wax of which the missing parts have been modeled recalling the shape of a skull. It could be that all the fragments of the three skulls are authentic. The plate which according to tradition would have welcomed the head of the Baptist is kept in Genoa, in the Museum of the treasure of the cathedral of San Lorenzo together with a part of the "ashes" of the saint. Another portion is located in the Oratory of San Giovanni Battista in Loano. The right arm is located in the Cathedral of Siena, donated by Pope Pius II on May 6, 1464. Previously this relic had belonged to Thomas Paleologus. A hand is kept in a reliquary in Rapagnano and was taken by the Evangelist Saint Luke from the tomb of the Precursor of Sebaste, then translated to Antioch and then transported to Constantinople and from this city to Rapagnano with a series of miraculous events. This Relic from 22.06.2013 to 24.06.2013 was temporarily translated to Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) on the occasion of the annual festivities of the Precursor, a unique event in the history of Rapagnano. The other hand is located in a Monastery of the state of Montenegro; it was once the most precious relic of the Order of Malta. Two small relics are located in the parish church of San Giovanni Battista all'Olmo in Massaquano, one of which, kept in a silver reliquary, is exhibited and offered to the kiss of the faithful in the anniversary of the Beheading on August 29 of each year. In the Church of San Gregorio Armeno in Naples a small quantity of blood of Saint John the Baptist is kept; it is possible to see it on the occasion of the two annual recurrences of 24 June and 29 August. A finger, donated by the antipope John XXIII, would be kept in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo of Florence, as an accessory of the Cathedral. Other relics would be kept in Damascus, in the Umayyad Mosque. A tooth and other relics are kept in the cathedral of Ragusa, a fragment of bone in the Basilica of Vittoria, another tooth together with a lock of hair in Monza. A small quantity of ashes is located in Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the Commendable Church of the Order of Malta and from 24.06.2013 in the same church another Relic of the Baptist donated by the Dominican Monastery of the Rosary of Monte Mario (Rome) is kept. Recently, both Relics, after the canonical recognition by the Bishop of Ragusa Mons. Paolo Urso have been placed in a new artistic silver reliquary. In Pozzallo and in the Church of San Giovanni Decollato in Nepi, kept by the homonymous Confraternity and exposed in some annual ceremonies. A small relic is kept in the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini in Rome and in the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista in Aci Trezza. A fragment of bone in the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista in Monterosso Almo (RG). Very many are also the patronages, of which we remember the most important: Due to the camel skin dress, which he sewed himself, and the belt, he is the patron saint of tailors, furriers, tanners. For the lamb, wool carders. For Herod's banquet which was the cause of his death, he is the patron saint of hoteliers. For the sword of torment, of knife, sword, scissor makers. He is patron of the Order of Malta He is patron of the district of the Pantera of Siena. Saint John Beheaded is the protector of all the Beheaded Souls and these souls are addressed by all those who ask for help or advice or seek a divinatory sign. These souls have nothing to do with the holy souls in purgatory because the latter are paying their penalty because in life they were not industrious and effective in practicing good while the Beheaded died at the hands of the executioner; for this reason he is also patron saint of many confraternities that assisted those condemned to death. In Sicily he is the patron saint of compari and comari of baptism in memory of the Baptism of Christ. He is also invoked against natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms etc. in Sicily and especially in Chiaramonte Gulfi on such occasions the Rosary of Saint John is recited in dialect followed by the Conjuration "San Giuvanni Santu 'Granni, Libiratici ri priculi e ri danni". He is the patron saint of the city of Formia, where he is the protector of sailors. Since 1700 it has been customary for the lodges of Scottish Rite Freemasonry to perform a rite of praise to Saint John the Baptist, who according to tradition died like Jesus at the age of 33. The feast of the Baptist falls on June 24 (24/06), in the cosmological context of the summer solstice in which the sun is at its peak in the apogee. Complementary to this custom is that of St. John the Evangelist, whose feast falls on the day of the winter solstice. Saint Nicholas of Bari Saint Nicholas of Bari, also known as Saint Nicholas of Myra, Saint Nicholas of Lorraine, Saint Nicholas the Great, Saint Niccolò and Saint Nicolò (Patara of Lycia, around 270 – Myra, 6 December 343), is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, by the Orthodox Church and by various other Christian denominations, was bishop of Myra (now Demre), a city located in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Empire, which is located in present-day Turkey. He is also known outside the Christian world because his figure gave rise to the myth of Santa Claus (or Klaus), known in Italy as San Nicolò and, in the North East regions, brings gifts on the night between the 5th and 6th of December. His relics are kept in Bari, Venice, Rimini, Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, Bucharest and also in Bulgaria, in the church of the city of Cernomoretz. He was probably born in Pàtara of Lycia, between 261 and 280, to Epifanio and Giovanna who were Christians and well-off. Raised in an environment of Christian faith, he lost, according to the most widespread sources, his parents prematurely due to the plague. He thus became heir to a rich heritage which he distributed among the poor and therefore remembered as a great benefactor. He later left his hometown and moved to Myra where he was ordained a priest. Upon the death of the metropolitan bishop of Myra, he was acclaimed by the people as the new bishop. Imprisoned and exiled in 305 during the persecutions issued by Diocletian, he was later freed by Constantine in 313 and resumed apostolic activity. It is not certain that he was one of the 318 participants in the Council of Nicaea of 325: according to tradition, however, during the council h 
Measures H x L x P cm. 60 x cm. 44 x cm. 2,4