ORAZIO DI JACOPO | MARTYRDOM OF ST. AGATHA; MARTYRDOM OF ST. LAWRENCE

Art market, Milan.

"While not as familiar to most people as their counterparts in Florence and Siena, the early painters of the Bolognese school are amongst the most intriguing artists working in the late 14^th and early 15^th Century. They often exhibit a special talent for colorful narrative; these Saints Agatha and Lawrence are good examples of this. They are intimate objects, to fit in the palm of your hand, but powerful in their content and luxurious in their use of color and refined punch work."

Christopher Apostle

Dr. Mauro Minardi, to whom we are grateful, first proposed the attribution of this pair of paintings to Orazio di Jacopo. Orazio was the son of Jacopo di Paolo (c. 1345/7 – 1429/30) and was documented mainly as a painter and decorator of banners, flagpoles, flags, and coats of arms. A few dated altarpieces are recorded in historical sources but have not survived, and his production is completely unknown until after 1430. This pair of martyr panels likely date to the 1440s and were once part of a diptych or triptych, based on their vertical wood grain. 

According to Minardi, these images are “emblematic of the bizarre and highly articulated expressive world of Bolognese painting of the late Middle Ages.” The martyrdom scenes are at once gruesome and whimsical. The figures’ costumes also reflect 15^th century Bolognese style; in particular the hat with peaked visor and double-lapeled coat worn by the tormentor in the St. Lawrence panel, and the turban worn by the tormentor of St. Agatha all appear in contemporary Bolognese religious painting. Orazio di Jacopo’s style bridges the gap between the “neo-Giottesque” painting of his father’s generation and the new generation of Bolognese painters. His three sons, Policleto, Guilio, and Gentile, also became painters.

All proceeds to be donated to ChefsForAmerica COVID –19 Response, a subsidiary of Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, a relief effort to feed people who are victims of the financial strains due to the coronavirus. To donate, please go to https://wck.org/