SALIMBENI, Lorenzo

In terms of content, form, and artistry, The Crucifixion on the altar wall is clearly the culmination of the entire series of paintings. The Salimbenis’ wall painting represents the populous or expanded type of Crucifixion often designated the Mount of Calvary. Beginning in the fourteenth century, this type with its opportunities for secondary motifs, became increasingly popular.

The detail shows the newly baptised,

The detail shows the observers, and carousers from this scene.

The swooning Virgin, supported by three women, has been drawn forward toward the lower edge of the picture.

The detail shows Herod on horseback.

This triptych, signed and dated by Lorenzo, was executed in the International Gothic style.

The picture shows a fragmentary scene in the upper register of the west wall, The Meeting in the Wilderness.

The picture shows four scenes from the upper register of the west wall: Annunciation to Zacharias; Zacharias Noting Down the Angel’s Message; The Visitation; and The Meeting of Mary and Zacharias.

The picture shows three scenes from the upper register of the west wall: Birth of the Baptist; Circumcision; Mary and Joseph Take Leave of Zacharias.

The picture shows two scenes from the lower register of the west wall: St John Preaching to the Multitudes; Baptism of the Neophytes.

The picture shows two scenes from the lower register of the west wall: Baptism of Christ in the Jordan; John Preaching Before Herod.

The picture shows the view of the right-hand (west) long wall of the oratory with the St John cycle and the altar wall with the Crucifixion.

The St John cycle, of which twelve scenes are well preserved and five survive in fragments, completely covers the long right-hand (west) wall and is presented in two registers. The cycle begins in the upper left, near the Crucifixion on the south (altar) wall, with the Annunciation to Zacharias, and continues, moving left to right, to the end of the upper register. This section presents an unusually detailed narration of the Baptist’s childhood.

The Baptist’s public career is presented in the lower register of the west wall. Again, the sequence begins to the right of the altar wall with his preaching to the multitudes. This is matched at the other end of the wall by his preaching to Herod on horseback.

The picture shows the view of the left-hand (east) long wall of the oratory with fragments of the St John cycle and two votive paintings with an enthroned Madonna and saints.

The lower register of the east wall includes several votive pictures, separately framed but also painted on the wall, that must have been executed at roughly the same time as the cycle.

Across the inner fa�ade (the north wall) the cycle utilized only the upper register, continuing from there directly into the upper register of the long eastern wall. The fragmented scenes in the upper register are Salome Beseeching Herod; John in Prison; and the Beheading. In the lower register are fragmentary frescoes from the 16th century.

The lower register of the east wall includes several votive pictures, separately framed but also painted on the wall, that must have been executed at roughly the same time as the cycle. The two pictures of the Madonna, the Madonna dell’Umiltà and Madonna with Saints, are also attributed to the Salimbeni brothers for stylistic reasons. These paintings flank a niche, producing the effect of a triptych.