Artwork
Christ in a Mandorla, with the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below
Christ in a Mandorla, with the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Berlinghiero Berlinghieri. It dates from 1230 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The handling of the figures reflects the formal conventions of the period, prioritizing hierarchical scale and symbolic clarity over naturalistic perspective.
Created around 1230, this religious painting by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri is executed on a panel support, consistent with the medium classification for the work. The composition is vertically oriented, measuring 42.4 cm in height and 12.0 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece exemplifies early Italian religious art, featuring a central figure of Christ within a mandorla surrounded by the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence positioned below.
The handling of the figures reflects the formal conventions of the period, prioritizing hierarchical scale and symbolic clarity over naturalistic perspective.
History & Provenance
Created around 1230 by the Italian artist Berlinghiero Berlinghieri, this religious panel painting originated in Italy. The work depicts Christ within a mandorla surrounded by the instruments of the Passion and flanked by Saints Stephen and Lawrence below. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio, where it bears the accession number 1966.237.c. No exhibition history is mentioned in the sources consulted, indicating that the piece has not been included in published exhibition catalogues or major travelling shows documented to date.
Overview
Berlinghiero Berlinghieri, an Italian painter active in the early thirteenth century, created Christ in a Mandorla, with the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below around 1230. This painting exemplifies the Italo-Byzantine style, depicting a central Christ figure within an almond-shaped glory, flanked by symbols of his suffering, and with two prominent saints positioned below. The work is part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on Christ, enclosed within a mandorla, a traditional symbol of divine glory, and encircled by the instruments of his Passion. Below this celestial vision, Saints Stephen and Lawrence are depicted. Stephen holds a book, while Lawrence grasps a gridiron, their respective attributes.
This arrangement adheres to Byzantine iconography, presenting Christ's majesty and redemptive sacrifice, supported by revered early Christian martyrs.
Artist & collection
Artist
Berlinghiero, also known as Berlinghiero Berlinghieri or Berlinghiero of Lucca (fl.
Maica Domnului cu Pruncul - Stăpâna Îngerilor
Buna Vestire
Închinarea Magilor
The Mourning Madonna
Detail
Central , Împărăteasa cerului, Preasfânta Fecioară Născătoare de Dumnezeu, în picioare, cu brațele desfăcute "acoperind pe popor", cu palmele spre privitor,flancată de sfinți. Dumnezeu Iisus Hristos este prezentat în unghiul din partea stângă pe Năframa Veronicăi sau sfântul Keramion, icoana nefăcută de mâna omului. În registrul de jos, arhangheli în fața unor sfinți.inscripțiile cu litere cursive, indescifrabile. Icoana a suferit intervenții, bordura roșiatică a fost acoperită cu o vopsea cafenie. Tema iconografică, se deduce dmai mult din atitudinea Fecioarei. Fond auriu(superior), brun roșcat median, brun închis inferior. Chenarul marginal - pictat mai recent, brun. Cromatica specifică, tonuri de pământ, roșu și brun, în combinație cu ocruri.
Icoașat
Sfinții diaconi Parmena și Nicanor
Maica Domnului împărătiță
Virgin and Child
Maica Domnului cu Pruncul- Christ in a Mandorla, with the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below