La Disputa

So, as usual, with the air of never learning, another work was chosen for a grand-scale restoration. This time it is Andrea Mantegna’s San Zeno Alterpiece, a magnificent work commissioned in 1457 Italian Renaissance by an artist from Northern Italy. This beautifully detailed masterpiece was perfectly executed by the artist, according to the whim of the commissioner, Abbot Gregorio Correr. As in the tradition of altarpieces, the SZA was a triptych (three panels to the painting) plus three scenes painted underneath in the predella. Each scene in the predella relates to the painting right above it in the triptych. So, since the triptych central panel shows Madonna holding the Child Jesus, the predella central panel shows Jesus in the same position (head lilted to the same side, arms outstretched on the cross as they are on his mother’s neck). Thusly, though it looks as though there are six paintings, there is really only one giant work.

Of course, in the spirit of everything that is respectful in the modern world, this altarpiece has been torn apart. The work has been moved many times, and each time something was taken from it. The full predella is in France since 1814. The bottom scenes in the original are copies made in the eighteenth century. The left panel of the triptych was stolen. In 1934, it went through surgery which thoroughly devastated the wooden support. Now it’s in fourteen pieces, waiting to be restored yet again.

Its due date is in May 2009, whereupon we’ll see the full restoration. I am sure I can’t wait.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 10:24 pm and is filed under Art Alert. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.