Ambrogio Di Baldese

the unusual subject is taken from the life of saint benedict, and this panel may therefore have once formed part of a predella of an altarpiece dedicated to that saint. maurus and placidus were the sons of patrician roman families who were sent to join benedict's community at subiaco. benedict saw in a vision that placidus had fallen into a nearby lake, and despatched maurus to save him. lippo d'andrea remains comparatively little known today, his most important documented work being the façade of the palazzo del ceppo at prato, painted in collaboration with niccolo di piero gerini and others. the recent identification with the ``pseudo' ambrogio di baldese is based upon similarities between the latter's frescoes in the sacristy of s. maria del carmine of 1402, and those in the capella neri in the same church, ascribed in early sources to lippo d'andrea. we are grateful to both professor luciano bellosi and everett fahy for confirming the attribution upon first hand inspection. provenance:mr d'hendecourt (according to a label on the reverse). inscribed by a later hand on the reverse:

description spinello aretino/500 the unusual subject is taken from the life of saint benedict, and this panel may therefore have once formed part of a predella of an altarpiece dedicated to that saint. maurus and placidus were the sons of patrician roman families who were sent to join benedict's community at subiaco. benedict saw in a vision that placidus had fallen into a nearby lake, and despatched maurus to save him. lippo d'andrea remains comparatively little known today, his most important documented work being the façade of the palazzo del ceppo at prato, painted in collaboration with niccolo di piero gerini and others. the recent identification with the ``pseudo' ambrogio di baldese is based upon similarities between the latter's frescoes in the sacristy of s. maria del carmine of 1402, and those in the capella neri in the same church, ascribed in early sources to lippo d'andrea. we are grateful to both professor luciano bellosi and everett fahy for confirming the attribution upon first hand inspection. provenance:mr d'hendecourt (according to a label on the reverse).