Description

This predella compartment with its oblong and narrow horizontal format, coming from the Vatican Library, should be dated to the last years of the XV century and assigned to a painter close to the style of Benozzo Gozzoli (Florence 1420 - Pistoia 1497). The image includes the remarkable and notable pathos of the characters from the influence of the late works of Gozzoli. It incorporates the drama of the late sculpture of Donatello and the painting of the Christological subject of Masaccio. The predella also contains the analytical symbolism of the Flemish style.

State of Preservation

The panel is painted on a single poplar wood board arranged horizontally that measures 22.5 x 91 cm. On the back, there are no containment systems, and small cracks are more localized in the lower area. There are anchors fixed directly to the support by screws, and the support presents a reduction of the original thickness.

Restoration Procedures

The work requires an anoxic and subsequent brush treatment. The present cracks need to be mended and the wood panel consolidated. Aesthetic retouching of the pictorial surface will be completed. Lastly, restorers will apply a special treatment with protective varnishes.