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The Adoration of the Magi, Neapolitan School
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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By Giovanni di Napoli
I returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today to see its latest exhibit, The Renaissance Portrait: From Donatello to Bellini. In addition to viewing some of the finest examples of fifteenth century European portraiture, I was really hoping to see more works by Sicily's Renaissance genius, Antonello da Messina. To my delight there was an additional portrait by the Sicilian master on display. The Met already has two of his paintings in its permanent collection—Portrait of a Young Man (pictured below right) and Christ Crowned with Thorns—so it was a fantastic opportunity to see another one of his masterpieces.
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Portrait of a Young Man
by Antonello da Messina
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Understandably, photos are not allowed to be taken at the exhibit, so anyone interested can visit the museum's website to see icons of the portraits. Obviously, these tiny reproductions do no justice to the actual artwork so I recommend viewing the pieces in person, if possible. Otherwise, the next best thing would be to order a copy of the exhibit's excellent catalogue, The Renaissance Portrait: From Donatello to Bellini (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011). The tome is highly informative and full of magnificent color plates. I must emphasize the photos accompanying this article are not from the exhibit!
Messina's Portrait of a Young Man, on loan from Berlin's Gemäldegalerie, is his last known painting, executed a year before his death in 1479. The panel is by far his smallest, measuring a mere 8 X 5 3/4 inches. It is also the only known work by the artist that has his subject standing before a landscape. Interestingly, the figure's right shoulder was shortened to make room for the vista. An inscription in Latin on a label attached to the stone parapet in the foreground reads, "Antonello of Messina painted me." The date is worn, but in 1771 the Venetian art critic Antonio Maria Zanetti the younger records that it read 1478.
A label in English on the back repeats an amusing anecdote circulated in 1648 by biographer Carlo Ridolfi. It claims the sitter in this picture is none other than the great Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini! Allegedly, Bellini posed as a Venetian nobleman to uncover the Sicilian's reticent oil-painting techniques. Since the painting is referred to as a Portrait of a Young Man and not "The Portrait of Giovanni Bellini" I think it's safe to assume most art historians don't take the story too seriously. After admiring his work, it’s not difficult to see why Messina was so inspirational to Venetian portrait painting.
Curiously, the Sicilian's Portrait of a Young Man in Red is included in the exhibit's catalogue, but is not on view. [Ed. note: I was later contacted by the museum and informed that the piece in question only appeared in the Berlin venue of the exhibition.]
As far as I'm aware, Antonello da Messina is the only Southern Italian artist included in the show. However, other works that may be of interest to our readers include the bronze bust of Alfonso II of Aragon (or Ferrante I of Aragon) by Guido Mazzoni and a marble bust of Beatrice of Aragon by Francesco Laurana.
Scholars can't agree on the identification of Mazzoni's impressive statue. Some believe the highly realistic portrait is of Ferrante I, King of Naples and Jerusalem; others claim it represents his son and heir Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria. Throughout the centuries the piece has alternatively been described as one or the other monarch. The figure wears the heraldic devises of the royal family, including the Order of the Ermine, founded by Ferrante in 1465. The bronze, on loan from the Museo e Gallerie Nazionali di Capodimonte in Naples, has a dark patina and shows traces of gilding. Its dimensions are 16 1/2 x 19 3/4 x 10 1/4 inches.
Unlike Mazzoni's statue, the identity of Francesco Laurana's Beatrice of Aragon is obvious, thanks to the appellation "Diva Beatrix Aragonia" clearly etched at the base. Daughter of King Ferrante I, the maiden's lovely visage has been immortalized in this fantastic marble. Believed to have been carved c. 1474-75, the title also gives us a clue as to when the portrait was made. Since the Neapolitan princess was married to King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary in 1476 the omission of Queen from her title tells us it must have been made before the royal wedding. It stands 16 x 15 7/8 x 8 inches.
Laurana, of course, is the Dalmatian-born sculptor who assisted Pietro da Milano and Domenico Gagini with the relief carvings on the Castel Nuovo's triumphal arch. I had the wonderful privilege of seeing some of Laurana's work, including the Madonna and Child in the Castle's chapel, during one of my pilgrimages to Naples.
There is also a pen-and-ink drawing and a gilded bronze medallion of Alfonso "The Magnanimous," King of Aragon, Naples and Sicily by Pisanello on view.
Afterward, instead of revisiting some of my favorite artwork, I broke from my usual routine and decided to explore a few of the museum's other galleries I haven't frequented recently. My inquisitiveness paid off handsomely. I discovered two amazing fourteenth century paintings from Naples in the Robert Lehman Collection Atrium (gallery 952). I'm not really sure why I failed to notice these gems before, but they truly are exquisite.
Seeing how today is the Epiphany it was apropos one of the paintings depicts The Adoration of the Magi (pictured top). The work is attributed to the Neapolitan School, sometime before 1343. Its tempera and gold ground on wood and including the tooled border measures 21 3/8 x 15 inches.
The second painting, Saints John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene, is by the Neapolitan painter Roberto d'Oderisio (active c. 1330-82). The panel measures 23 x 15 5/8 inches and is also tempera on wood with gold ground. D'Oderisio (also known as Oderisi) was a disciple of Giotto during the Florentine's influential stints as court artist in Naples under the Angevin Dynasty.
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Saints John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene by Roberto d'Oderisio
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Feeling lucky, and being somewhat a creature of habit, I couldn't leave without taking a quick peak at the artifacts in the nearby Medieval art galleries. In the display case that usually holds intricately carved oliphants (hunting horns) from Southern Italy was a dazzling crystal ewer. Carved from nearly perfect rock crystal in Norman Sicily between 1100-1200, it's one of the largest examples in existence. In all probability the vessel's unique jagged handle was originally gilded.
Never disappointed with the Met, this was an extraordinarily rewarding visit. I was able to see many new and remarkable pieces of art, including famous works by Northern Italian artists, which is generally not the purpose of this blog.
I would like to point out my interest in the museum and its treasures is not simply nostalgia, but rather an affirmation of what is transcendent in our people and a reminder of our future potential. It is a spiritually uplifting experience for me.
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Rock Crystal Ewer, 1100-1200, Sicily
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The following source proved invaluable to this post:
The Renaissance Portrait: From Donatello to Bellini (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011)
