The moving back of the date of the cycle of mural paintings in the chapel adjoining the round church of San Galgano on Monte Siepi (which we now know were executed by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in 1334-1336) and confirmation of the identity of the chapel’s donor (the Cistercian oblate Ristoro d’Orlando da Selvatella) allow us to reconsider the very nature of the Montesiepi cycle in a new light. Contrary to what has long been assumed, it should not be interpreted in the light of the last will and testament of a layman concerned about his own spiritual destiny, but rather in the context of the patronage (and spirituality) of the Cistercian monks. In addition to the painter’s iconographic and stylistic experimentation, what emerges clearly from this new analysis of the cycle is that it is based on the integration of some important parts of the hagiography of Saint Galgano within the framework – which remains dominant – of the exaltation of the Virgin Mary as co-redeemer and Regina Coeli, therefore in line with the thinking of the leading Cistercian scholar, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and his followers. In the creation of the paintings of Montesiepi other influences were also decisive, such as the Marian laude, or sacred songs, that had been adopted within lay confraternities. Certain unprecedented iconographic expressions – it has been known for some time – were rejected by the Cistercian community, which a short time after the completion of the paintings had them modified by another painter. These were interventions – it is argued in the present essay – which had the precise function of making the meaning behind the cycle even more explicit.
L’arretramento cronologico del ciclo di dipinti murali nella cappella annessa alla chiesa rotonda di San Galgano sul Monte Siepi (che oggi sappiamo eseguiti da Ambrogio Lorenzetti nel 1334-36) e il recupero dell’identità del donatore (l’oblato cistercense Ristoro d’Orlando da Selvatella) permettono di considerare in modo nuovo la natura stessa del ciclo di Montesiepi. A differenza di quanto si è a lungo supposto, esso non è da interpretarsi alla luce delle volontà testamentarie di un laico preoccupato del destino della propria anima, bensì entro la cornice della committenza (e della spiritualità) dei monaci cistercensi. Assieme allo sperimentalismo iconografico e stilistico del pittore, emerge con chiarezza dalla rinnovata analisi del ciclo che esso si fonda sull’integrazione di alcuni segmenti topici dell’agiografia di San Galgano entro il quadro – che è dominante – dell’esaltazione della Vergine Maria come co-redentrice e regina coeli, in linea con la riflessione del maggiore pensatore cistercense, San Bernardo di Chiaravalle, e dei suoi seguaci. Nella genesi dei dipinti di Montesiepi furono determinanti anche altre spinte – come le laudi mariane nate nell’ambito delle confraternite laicali – e alcune inedite formulazioni iconografiche – è noto da tempo – furono rifiutate dalla committenza, che a breve distanza dal compimento dei dipinti li fece modificare a un altro pittore. Si trattò d’interventi che, secondo quanto si argomenta nel saggio, ebbero proprio la funzione di rendere maggiormente esplicito il significato sotteso al ciclo.
Bartalini, R. (2017). "La piaga che Maria richiuse e unse". Di nuovo sui dipinti murali di Ambrogio Lorenzetti nella cappella di San Galgano sul Monte Siepi. PROSPETTIVA, 165-166, 20-31.
"La piaga che Maria richiuse e unse". Di nuovo sui dipinti murali di Ambrogio Lorenzetti nella cappella di San Galgano sul Monte Siepi
Roberto Bartalini
2017-01-01
Abstract
The moving back of the date of the cycle of mural paintings in the chapel adjoining the round church of San Galgano on Monte Siepi (which we now know were executed by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in 1334-1336) and confirmation of the identity of the chapel’s donor (the Cistercian oblate Ristoro d’Orlando da Selvatella) allow us to reconsider the very nature of the Montesiepi cycle in a new light. Contrary to what has long been assumed, it should not be interpreted in the light of the last will and testament of a layman concerned about his own spiritual destiny, but rather in the context of the patronage (and spirituality) of the Cistercian monks. In addition to the painter’s iconographic and stylistic experimentation, what emerges clearly from this new analysis of the cycle is that it is based on the integration of some important parts of the hagiography of Saint Galgano within the framework – which remains dominant – of the exaltation of the Virgin Mary as co-redeemer and Regina Coeli, therefore in line with the thinking of the leading Cistercian scholar, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and his followers. In the creation of the paintings of Montesiepi other influences were also decisive, such as the Marian laude, or sacred songs, that had been adopted within lay confraternities. Certain unprecedented iconographic expressions – it has been known for some time – were rejected by the Cistercian community, which a short time after the completion of the paintings had them modified by another painter. These were interventions – it is argued in the present essay – which had the precise function of making the meaning behind the cycle even more explicit.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/11365/1063788