Imago Pietatis - Northern Italy - 15th Century

This splendid marble bas-relief shows us the Imago pietatis, that is to say the moment when Christ is coming out of the tomb between life and death, he is supported by two angels. Our bas-relief comes from the collection of Achille de Clemente, a collector of the late 19th century in Florence. We can see a photo of the work in the catalog listing his collection. Our work is referenced there under the number 50692. "Collezioni d'arte tra ottocento e novecento", Jacquier fotografi a firenze 1870-1935. On our work, we can see Christ, coming out of his tomb, haloed, he wears the crown of thorns, and his eyes half-open as if he were unconscious. The features of his face are hard, this is supported by the presence of the stigmata visible on his hands and his side. He wears a perizonium tied on the side. Everything seems to testify to the difficult ordeal he faces through his resurrection. Christ is accompanied by two angels. One of the two is leaning towards him, one of his hands placed on his heart while the other looks towards the outside of the bas-relief, seeming to ask for help from other celestial figures. Their wings, very long as well as the heads of the characters come out of the given interior frame of the work. The clothes of the angels are separated into two parts, they are dressed in a toga, held by a fibula on the shoulder. Their faces of 3/4, revealing their tortured and passionate expression. The details of the sculpture, especially on the tomb make this composition even more realistic. Indeed, the tomb from which Christ comes out, is composed of several panels, on the front, it is decorated with cornucopias, symbol of prosperity of the world to come. On either side of it, other panels are sculpted that go slightly in perspective towards the back. Each of these is decorated with a large flower. Each side of the work is framed by a Corinthian column, allowing the scene to be closed, but also to add an architectural decoration to the whole and to add a pictorial dimension to this bas-relief. This bas-relief, representing a typical subject of the 15th century, is attributed to the entourage of Bartolomeo Bellano, a student of Donatello. The imago pietatis is inspired by the image of the Byzantine epitaphios (Christ is represented in his tomb surrounded by his loved ones), which was present in the 8th century and then exported to Europe to be transformed in the 13th century into the image that we can see in our work. This devotional image will be taken up in sculptures, paintings or even illuminations. This theme is apocryphal, that is, it is not present in the Bible. Donatello made a marble version of it that became an inspiration for many artists of the 15th century. Donatello is one of the artists of the early Renaissance, so he is one of the pioneers of those who dare to humanize the characters in their works and mainly the divine characters. At that time, life was not easy, so it was customary to show that divine beings also participated in this suffering. It was quite innovative to think like this and for artists like Donatello, it was a risk taking compared to the possibly negative reaction of the clergy. We know that he stopped in Padua for his work. After his arrival, and with the works he left, his style remained permanent in this city. He left an indelible mark. Therefore, Bartolomeo Bellano coming from this place, followed the work done by Donatello. We find in his work, works that we can link with our bas-relief. We compare Bartolomeo Bellano's style to our work by the similarities of the tortured expressions of the characters as well as the hardness of the joints. In particular the rigid arms. It is likely that our bas-relief was an element that was part of a whole, as for example on the tabernacle-reliquary located in the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Our in-depth research on this marble bas-relief representing the Imago Pietatis has allowed us to situate it in an artistic tradition marked by great expressiveness and attention to detail. By comparing the stylistic elements, in particular the features of the angels' faces, we were able to establish a significant resemblance with the works of Bartolomeo Bellano. This comparison enriches our understanding of the work and offers valuable insight into its creative context, confirming its belonging to Bartolomeo Bellano's entourage.