SCHIAVO, Paolo

This is one of the four panels in the Philadelphia museum which formed the predella to an altarpiece, of which the main panels are in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. In the centre was the Annunciation; on the left, St Jerome; and on the right, St Lawrence.

Seated on a draped throne, the Virgin holds the infant Jesus, whose foot is being kissed by the oldest of the three kings. Next to the throne Joseph leans on his walking stick. The other two kings stand, carrying golden receptacles. They are dressed as contemporary young men and wear crowns over typically Florentine hats known as mazzocchi. On the right is a groom with two horses.

The picture shows the Adoration of the Magi on the entrance wall.

Long, horizontal panels such as this were painted to decorate the fronts of furniture chests, called cassoni. In early fifteenth-century Florence, cassoni were commonly commissioned in pairs on the occasion of patrician marriages as part of the bride’s trousseau. Their painted subjects were often drawn from classical mythology or history, usually allegories of love or chastity.

Long, horizontal panels such as this were painted to decorate the fronts of furniture chests, called cassoni. In early fifteenth-century Florence, cassoni were commonly commissioned in pairs on the occasion of patrician marriages as part of the bride’s trousseau. Their painted subjects were often drawn from classical mythology or history, usually allegories of love or chastity.

The church of San Pio X al Sodo was built in reinforced concrete in 1964. It was dedicated to San Pio X (Giuseppe Sarto, pope from 1903 to 1914) and was consecrated in 1972. The sober interior of this modern church was lightened by the fresco of the Annunciation and Saints which was executed by Paolo Schiavo in 1447. The detached fresco with sinopia came from the nearby Tabernacolo dell’Olmo.

This 14th-century small church with a single nave and small circular apse in a tiny village in the Val d’Elsa presents the visitor in the choir by Paolo Schiavo.

This 14th-century small church with a single nave and small circular apse in a tiny village in the Val d’Elsa presents the visitor in the choir by Paolo Schiavo.

In addition to the famous Last Supper by Andrea del Castagno, the small museum also displays other fresco designs and works by Castagno, Neri di Bicci, Paolo Schiavo, and Raffaello da Montelupo.

This panel originally belonged to the predella of an altarpiece in the Oratorio della Madonna della Querce, Florence. It is a schematic late work by the artist. The signed and dated central panel of the altarpiece shows the Assumption of the Virgin (today Museo di Sant’Apollonia, Florence). The predella of the now dismembered altarpiece originally showed the three preceding scenes of the Virgin’s life: in the first picture, an angel announced to Mary her approaching death (lost); next came this scene showing the Virgin’s death; the third scene depicted the funeral of the Virgin (today Erzbisch�fliches Di�zesanmuseum, Cologne).

The representation of the death of Virgin is based on apocryphal sources and spread in Italy under the influence of Byzantine art. The Virgin lies in the centre in front of a row of candle-holding apostles and angels. Christ appears in the centre to take his mother’s soul shown in the form of a child. The characters fill the entire, narrow pictorial field, and are shown with little variation. The painter’s palette is limited to a few simple colours – red, green and yellow.

This is one of the four panels in the Philadelphia museum which formed the predella to an altarpiece, of which the main panels are in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. In the centre was the Annunciation; on the left, St Jerome; and on the right, St Lawrence.

Joseph leads the ass that the Virgin and Child ride as two handmaidens, one with a bundle on her head, follow. As in the Visitation panel of the predella, golden rays emanate from the maidens’ heads. They are presumably the same attendants, but now they are barefoot and wear simple dress. As the group passes, a palm tree bows. This may refer to an incident recounted in the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew concerning a palm tree that bowed down to give its fruit to the Holy Family during a rest on their fight to Egypt. The palm frames the grotto in the hill where Christ was born. It is early morning and the sun has just risen, chasing light and clouds over the hills and faraway city. The attention given to the depiction of the landscape and the atmospheric effects suggests a close familiarity with the predella panel of the same subject in Gentile da Fabriano’s Adoration of the Magi, finished in May 1423.

Madonna della Cintola (Madonna of the Girdle) depicts the Madonna giving her girdle to St Thomas.

The detail shows the upper part of the painting.

The detail shows the lower part of the painting.

This is one of the four panels in the Philadelphia museum which formed the predella to an altarpiece, of which the main panels are in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. In the centre was the Annunciation; on the left, St Jerome; and on the right, St Lawrence.

To the left the Virgin kneels in adoration of the baby Christ, and to the right Joseph sits, resting his head on his hand. A shepherd looks on from a rocky crag to the left. The rays of celestial light coming from the two angels, gold star, and baby contrast with the darkness of the night.

With an octagonal plan, a domed vault, reproducing Brunelleschi’s schemes, the oratory Madonna della Querce (Madonna of the Oaks) is preceded by a porch with remains of frescoes on the walls attributed to Paolo Schiavo.

The picture shows the Procession of the Magi on the entrance wall.

These panels formed the predella to an altarpiece, of which the main panels are in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. In the centre was the Annunciation; on the left, St Jerome; and on the right, St Lawrence.

The embroidered antependia with scenes from the life of the Virgin was made after the design of Paolo Schiavo.

The embroidered antependia with scenes from the life of the Virgin was made after the design of Paolo Schiavo.

In the centre of the triptych is the Annunciation; on the left, St Jerome; and on the right, St Lawrence. Four predella panels to this altarpiece are in the Philadelphia Art Museum.

This is one of the four panels in the Philadelphia museum which formed the predella to an altarpiece, of which the main panels are in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. In the centre was the Annunciation; on the left, St Jerome; and on the right, St Lawrence.

Elizabeth, mother of St John the Baptist, greets the Virgin, who is accompanied by two young maidens wearing contemporary attire. Unlike the other figures, who have halos, the maidens have golden rays emanating from their heads. Coming out of the stone gateway is Elizabeth’s companion, who, like her mistress, is veiled and wears a wimple. A white cat or small dog stands between the two principal figures.

With an octagonal plan, a domed vault, reproducing Brunelleschi’s schemes, the oratory Madonna della Querce (Madonna of the Oaks) is preceded by a porch with remains of frescoes on the walls attributed to Paolo Schiavo.

The picture shows the entrance wall with the Adoration of the Magi, and the Annunciation with a saint (perhaps St Giuliano).