TRAINI, Francesco

(b. ~1300 Pisa, d. ~1360 Pisa)

Pisan painter. Only one work is certainly known to be by him: the signed polyptych of St Dominic and Scenes from his Life (Muso Nazionale, Pisa). The most important works attributed to him are frescoes in the Campo Santo in Pisa: the celebrated Triumph of Death, with accompanying scenes of the Last Judgment, Hell, and Legends of the Hermits. These, among the outstanding Italian paintings of the 14th century, were badly damaged by bombs in the Second World War, but this brought to light, by way of partial compensation, the beautiful “sinopie”, which are now shown in the Museo delle Sinopie. The frescoes include many telling details of death’s victims and are usually seen as a reflection of the horrors of the black death of 1348. However, since the essay by Luciano Bellosi in 1974 these frescoes are considered the work of Buonamico Buffalmacco.

The Triumph of St Thomas Aquinas

The subject of this altarpiece is usually described as the Triumph of St Thomas Aquinas. In it the saint is depicted with open books in his hands and on his lap, receiving inspiration from above via Christ, Paul, Moses, and the Evangelists, and from below via Aristotle and Plato, while Avarroës lies at his feet.

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Triumph of Death (detail)

The celebrated frescoes in the Camposanto, Pisa, the Triumph of Death, with accompanying scenes of the Last Judgment, Hell, and Legends of the Hermits, were badly damaged by bombs in the Second World War. They include many telling details of death’s victims and were seen as a reflection of the horrors of the Black Death of 1348, and were dated c. 1350 and attributed for long time to Francesco Traini. However, since the essay by Luciano Bellosi published in 1974, the frescoes are attributed to Buonamico Buffalmacco and dated earlier, to c. 1335-40.

Description and details of the frescoes in the Camposanto can be found in the section of Buffalmaco.

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