Saints Benedict and Apollonia, c. 1483
Filippino Lippi
Italian, 1457-1504
Tempera glazed with oil on panel
62 x 23-5/8 in. (157.5 x 60 cm)
The Norton Simon Foundation
F.1973.21.1.P
© 2010 The Norton Simon Foundation
On view
This is one of two panels that were created for the Church of San Ponziano in Lucca; the two formed part of a triptych on either side of a statue of St. Anthony. St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism, accompanies St. Apollonia, a third-century martyr, who holds the instruments of her torture.
The decorative linear manner that associates Lippi with his teacher, Botticelli, is now integrated with the representation of mass. The figures are broadly conceived and impress us with their monumental presence. Material richness, reflective surfaces and textural variety impart a larger-than-life quality to the scene. The physiognomical analysis and emotional depth of the figures is almost unprecedented in Italian painting at this date and extraordinary in light of Filippino's age of twenty-five.
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