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| La Maestà (Virgin in majesty) circa 1280-5 |
Two of the Louvre's prize possessions were originally Napoleonic war booty! They are at present on show in a small but precious exhibition at the Western end of the grand gallery in the Denon wing. The star of the exhibition is the newly restored "Maestà" by Cimabue, known in English as the Virgin in majesty or the Virgin enthroned with angels. Its colours have been beautifully refreshed, from the virgin's lapis lazuli robe to the shimmering multi-coloured wings of the seraphim angels surrounding her and the Christ child. The angels and Saints (including Saint Francis) around the frame all look as if they are ready to pop out of the icon into the real world:
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| detail: angel (from exhibition film) |
Little is known about Cenni di Pepo, called Cimabue. There are only two documented dates in his life: he was in Rome in 1282 and was working in Pisa in 1301 to 1302, the date of his death. Renaissance artist Vasari writes that Cimabue was born in Florence in 1240.
Cimabue's opus totals around fifteen paintings only, including his marvellous frescoes in Assisi and two series of ceramic mosaics in the baptistery in Florence and the cathedral in Pisa.
In the newly restored Maestà, the monumental figure of the virgin Mary looks melancholic, aware perhaps of the sadness to come. All the figures in the painting gaze out at the spectator. Jesus is the only one to have ears visible- open to the prayers of the world:
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| detail of Christ's face, from exhibition film |
A block of lapis, more precious in the 13th century than gold, is on display. Cimabue used pure lapis for the virgin's robe and mixed with other colours for the angels' and Christ's tunics:
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| Lapis lazuli from the Musée de Minéralogie, Paris |
Certain details of this majestic work, which once hung high up in the church of San Francesco in Pisa, are now easier to read- for example the Arabic type writing on the material behind Mary's head:
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| decipherable Arabic writing behind virgin's head, from exhibition film |
Pisa was a hub of Mediterranean trading and a crossroads for different cultures. The writing is similar to the Mamluk exhortations found on a contemporary goblet featuring in the exhibition. From 13th century Syria, the glass beaker illustrates a polo match!:
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| Beaker with polo players Syria, 2nd half of 13th century Anon. Louvre |
Embossed in the gold haloes on Cimabue's Maestà is a pseudo-arabic writing which may at the time have been seen as a divine language incomprehensible to man or perhaps the original language of biblical lands. Cimabue sometimes copied arabic text and sometimes made it up!
Cimabue's paintings were the beginning of a revolution towards realism in art, breaking away from the Byzantine iconic style. His use of greenish paint in the shadows gives a certain volume, while the study of perspective is apparent in the base of the throne. He was the first artist to indicate the phalanges of the fingers, which he highlights with little touches of white, although the elongated fingers are painted in a stylized manner, as are his distinctive sculptural noses.
A second work by Cimabue has been recently acquired by the Louvre and carefully restored- "Christ mocked". Unlike the the monumental Maestà, the second work is a small panel, approximately 26 by 20 centimetres in size. It shows an even greater naturalism in the faces. One of the protagonists grabs at Christ's arm and Christ's eyes are visible through the transparent blindfold. The Commissaire of the Louvre exhibition, Thomas Bohl, calls it the first modern painting in the Western world:
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| Cimabue: La Dérision du Christ ( Christ mocked ) about 1285-90 |
There is a story behind this small painting. An elderly lady in the North of France had it hanging above her kitchen stove, until it was discovered by a house clearance expert several years ago and acquired by the Louvre for 24 million Euros! Sadly for her, the owner died two days after the auction. The panel is thought to have been ordered by the poor Clares, the women's order of Franciscans, and formed part of a large diptych. Only two other panels are known, out of eight. One is in the Frick Collection, New York and is the only Cimabue in the United States. The Frick has loaned it to be shown here:
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| Cimabue: Flagellation of Christ c.1280 Frick Collection, N.Y. |
The third small panel is normally in the National Gallery, London. It represents the virgin enthroned- similar to the large Maestà. It was discovered in a mansion in Suffolk in 2000 (Benacre Hall) and was possibly acquired in Florence in the 19th century by the 6th Baronet, Sir Edward Gooch:
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| Cimabue: Virgin enthroned with angels c.1280 |
In 19th century France, the so-called "Italian primitives" were starting to be better appreciated than previously. Giotto (c.1267-1337) is believed to have been the pupil of Cimabue- a pupil who surpassed the master. His "St Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata from Christ" is the second work which caught the eye of Baron Denon, choosing works for Napoleon's collection:
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| Giotto di Bondone: Saint Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata about 1298 |
We are witnessing the beginnings of the Renaissance- by Florentine artists. The exhibition also explores the development of naturalism in the work of Duccio (c.1255-1319) from Sienna, who was already an affirmed master when he met Cimabue in Florence. This is Duccio's small Virgin and Christ child painted around the same time as the large Cimabue:
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| Duccio di Buoninsegna: Virgin Mary and Child Jesus, known as the Franciscan Madonna c. 1285-1288 Sienna, Pinacoteca Nazionale |
The exhibition has permitted a reassessment of Cimabue and Duccio. A work on show previously attributed to Duccio is now believed to be a Cimabue:
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| Cimabue: Virgin and Child, known as the Giustino Madonna c.1285 Turin, Gallera Sabaudia |
The Christ child is leaping towards his mother, influenced perhaps by the younger painter Duccio.
The most illustrious artist of the generation preceding Cimabue was Pisano, who was possibly the teacher of Cimabue. Pisano's imposing Christ on the cross opens the exhibition at the Louvre:
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| Giunta di Capitano, known as Giunta Pisano: Painted cross, known as San Ranierino's c.1240-1250 Pisa, Museo nazionale di San Matteo |
Pisano was a master of crucified Christs. Four such works are known, although one has been lost. His Christ is shown in three dimensional form, with the aid of greenish paint, while the ends of the cross have an iconic Mary and a Saint John on either side.
A pupil of Cimabue's- Manfredino d'Alberto- is represented in the exhibition by a colourful virgin and child against gold surroundings:
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| Manfredino d'Alberto: La Vierge et l'Enfant, dite Maesta di Mosciano |
(Virgin and Child, called Maestà of Mosciano) c. 1290-95 church of Sant'Andrea, Mosciano
Ironically the first "Cimabue" exhibited by the Louvre in 1802 turned out to be by the studio of Botticelli! It was painted around 1500- a couple of centuries after Cimabue's death!
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| School or studio of Botticelli about 1500 tempera on panel |
The delicate gauze work revealing the figures behind can be traced back to Cimabue- for example in the legs of Jesus in the Maestà, where the transparent robe reveals solid form beneath. Cimabue had started using layers of transparent paint which Leonardo da Vinci later brought to perfection.
Statues and ceramic works add variety to the exhibition and place the Cimabues in their contemporary context:
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| 11th century Islamic plate from Tunisia basilica of San Piero a Grado, Pisa |
The interchange of different cultures in the port of Pisa certainly contributed to this exciting development in Italian art around the 1275 to 85 period, in which Cimabue played a major part.
Cimabue Exhibition at the Louvre (Denon wing) : "The Origins of Italian painting" from 22nd January until 12th May 2025.
Louvre: open 9am to 6pm every day except Tuesday.
Late opening on Wednesdays and Fridays until 9pm.
Metro: Palais Royal
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