Master of Bigallo, Reredos of San Zenobius

Author
Master of Bigallo (attr.)
Date
C. 1240-1250
Collocation
Sala delle navate
Original location
Cathedral
Material
Poplar wood, tempera pigments, gold
Technique
Painting, gilding, stamping
Dimensions
Height: 112 cm; Width: 278 cm;

Reredos attributed to the Maestro del Bigallo, depicting Saint Zenobius between Saint Eugenius and Saint Crescenzio, surrounded by scenes showing the four miracles the bishop performed. The painting is in tempera on an elm-wood panel and dates back to the mid-13th century. Tradition has it that when the relics of Saint Zenobius, Bishop of Florence between the 4th and 5th centuries AD, were removed from the Basilica of San Lorenzo and transferred to the Cathedral, his bier brushed against an elm, causing it to burst into leaf despite it being the depths of winter. And, according to the inscription, it was from the wood of this miraculous tree that this panel was made. The work is of considerable artistic merit and great devotional impact, blending the austerely elegant Byzantine style with the more plastic Florentine tradition. An enthroned Saint Zenobius, holding his crosier and wearing his mitre, dominates the center of the scene, flanked by Saint Eugenius on the left and Saint Crescenzio on the right, surrounded by four scenes depicting his miracles. The reredos had been extensively retouched over the centuries; alterations mostly removed when it was restored in 1937, with the exception of the face of Saint Zenobius, which had been repainted in the 15th century. The painting underwent restoration again in 2008-2013. 

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Sala delle navate