Polidoro de' Renzi, known as Polidoro da Lanciano (Lanciano, circa 1515 – Venice, 1565), Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine

Polidoro de' Renzi, known as Polidoro da Lanciano (Lanciano, circa 1515 – Venice, 1565) Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine Oil on panel, 47.5 x 34.5 cm With frame, 71 x 58 cm The painting, depicting the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, is to be associated with the production of the Venetian painter with a Titianesque training, Polidoro de' Renzi, known as Polidoro da Lanciano. A comparison with prototypes by Francesco Vecellio suggests a period of work, perhaps as a apprentice, at the workshop of the famous painters from Pieve di Cadore, although there is no certain information about the artistic education and early cultural references of the young Polidoro. The only certain evidence is from 1536, when his name was registered in the Venetian Painters' Guild, the city where he moved to. In the lagoon, the artist frequented the circle of Titian Vecellio, but his presence in the workshop of the Cadore native is not historically confirmed, where his art appears influenced by Paris Bordon and Bonifacio de' Pitati. His style manifests clear suggestions of Veronese classicism, from which he draws iconographic modules and a renewed chromatic modernity, as suggested by the landscape veiled by clouds and the shrub behind Mary, which ideally guides the viewer's eye beyond the limit of the canvas itself. The prevalence of color over drawing, of tones over forms, the precious and iridescent colors of the garments, the soft but full-bodied draperies at the same time embody the Venetian culture of the artist. In particular, the typologies of the Child Jesus and the Virgin, as well as the general setting of the scene, are typical of the work of Polidoro da Lanciano and the models he took from the production of Titian, with the majestic figures in the foreground. Equally typical are the poses of the characters and the typologies of their candid faces. His production is mainly aimed at creating 'devotional paintings', Holy Conversations with a narrative character, following tried and tested iconographic formulas, almost always used for private devotion. Examples include works such as the Marriage of Saint Catherine in Ca' Rezzonico, where there is the same diagonal construction of the scene, and the Holy Family of the Accademia Carrara.