Scenes from the Lives of Two Martyrs

Veronese School

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing from the Veronese School. The drawing shows an interior church setting with a group of people gathered around a font. The font is positioned on a raised platform on which stands the priest to the right, and kneeling on the left are two men who both appear to be half naked. The priest faces towards the left and has his right hand risen, holding a round object. Both kneeling men are facing towards the right and have their hands risen in prayer. There are more people gathered on either side of the raised platform. Behind the font is an altar with some kind of triptych, set against the backdrop of an arch. The text in the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society groups No.s 10 and 11 together. The text reads: "Nos. 10 and 11 VERONESE SCHOOL (About 1400) SCENES FROM THE LIVES OF TWO MARTYRS British Museum, 1860-6-16-66. From the Woodburn and Spencer (?) Collections. Pen and bistre, on red tinted paper. 12.7 x 15.6 cm. (5 x 6 1/8 in.) On the recto, in a baptistery, two adults, one male the other female, kneel to receive baptism; on the right of the priest who is officiating are assistants and acolytes, on the left a group of men and women looking on. On the verso, the same two persons (but the man is now bearded) are being burnt at the stake in an open space before a building; in the background, hills and distant buildings; groups of monks (on the left) and nuns (on the right), officers on horseback, and soldiers (some in Roman dress) assist at the martyrdom. In some respects, as in the drawing of the figures and faces, the shading, the use of red-tinted paper of the same quality, these drawings (although their handling is not quite so free), strongly recall the SloanE drawing in the British Museum (5226-57) with representations of the battle between Barbarossa and the Romans, and of the Emperor's reception of his son Otto. This has been attributed to Pisanello, but is certainly earlier, and belongs probably to the Veronese school in transition from Altichiero. The reproduction of the tint has not been attempted. G. F. H."