Brancacci Chapel: restoration work.

The Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine is famous for its frescoes,
to study which both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo came here.

When in 1425 famous painter Masolino was hired by a wealthy Florentine named Brancacci to paint the chapel,
he took as his assistant an unknown young man with such a long and difficult name that everyone called him simply Masaccio ("muff").
The artists divided among themselves the plots of the cycle of frescoes dedicated to the life of St. Peter.
Within a few months, a striking difference between the work of Masolino and Masaccio became noticeable.

The young man became the first artist who managed to depict a realistic space, as well as believable gestures, postures and movements with the help of perspective transfer. These frescoes immediately became incredibly popular. Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo came to copy them. It is said that this is where Michelangelo's nose was broken. This was done by a friend of the artist, who was told by Michelangelo that he would never be able to paint in the same way as Masaccio.

Masaccio "Raising of the Son of Theophilus and St Peter Enthroned" 1426-27 Cappella Brancacci

Masaccio Detail "Raising of the Son of Theophilus and St Peter Enthroned" 1426-27 Cappella Brancacci

Masaccio's creative career lasted only six years, so it is not surprising that his legacy is small. Among the few works of the painter, his outstanding frescoes are especially famous, which are still located where he painted them, namely in two Florentine churches - Santa Maria Novella (here you can see the "Trinity") and in the Brancacci Chapel at the church of Santa Maria del Carmine . The frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel are so significant for the history of art that they have been called "the foundation on which the whole building of European painting rests."

The construction of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence began in 1268, but it was not consecrated until 1422. Masaccio captured this event on one of the frescoes of the church. The fresco was called "Sagra" and was considered famous work artist, but, unfortunately, was destroyed around 1600 during repairs.

The Brancacci Chapel is a miraculously preserved old part of the church, which was repeatedly rebuilt. The Brancacci family built this chapel in the middle of the 14th century, and the frescoes decorating it were commissioned by Masaccio and Masolino, most likely Felice Brancacci (1382-c. 1450), who remained the owner of the chapel from 1422 to 1434. Felice was in the diplomatic service and often left the city. Documents from the 15th century confirming the work of Masaccio and Masolino on the frescoes in the family chapel have not come down to us, but historians believe that Felice commissioned the painting shortly after returning from Cairo in 1423. Thus, the time of writing frescoes narrows down to a period limited to 1425-1428. It is unlikely that work began before 1425, since Masolino, who, apparently, was the first to start painting the chapel, was absent from the city until the end of 1424. The work was stopped no later than 1428, when Masaccio died, and Masolino left for Rome.

Due to the lack of documentary evidence exact date the creation of frescoes will forever remain a mystery, but it is not difficult for researchers to determine which part of the work was done by Masaccio and which part by Masolino. The main features by which the styles of these two artists should be distinguished were formulated by Vasari. In his book, published in the 16th century, he compared two frescoes depicting Adam and Eve, located opposite each other in the Brancacci Chapel. One - "Temptation", the second - "Expulsion from Paradise". As Vasari noted, the nude figures of Masolino on the fresco "Temptation" look more elegant, almost weightless, while the figures painted by Masaccio on the fresco "Expulsion from Paradise" are perceived as physically dense bodies occupying a certain place in the space of the picture. In addition, the faces of Adam and Eve at Masolino seem puppet-like, inanimate, and the faces of Adam and Eve Masaccio are filled with tragic passion.

All other frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel are dedicated to episodes from the life of St. Peter. It is possible that the Adam and Eve scenes were included to show the source of original sin. The frescoes are arranged in two rows along the side and back walls of the chapel. A total of twelve scenes survive, six of which are entirely, or almost entirely, painted by Masaccio.

After Masolino and Masaccio interrupted work - as if for the sake of profitable commissions, which is why they hurried to Rome - the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel remained unfinished for more than half a century. Only in the 1480s they were completed by Filippino Lippi.

FILIPPINO LIPPI

Filippino Lippi (c. 1457 - 1504) - artist who completed the frescoes begun by Masaccio and Masolino in the Brancacci Chapel. He was the son and student of Filippo Lippi (c. 1406-1469), who was at one time a monk of the Carmelite monastery in Florence. Contemporaries testified that he wanted to become an artist after he saw Masaccio at work in the chapel.

Filippo Lippi was expelled from the monastery for love affair with a nun. The fruit of their passionate love was Filippino, who decades later completed Masaccio's fresco "The Resurrection of the Son of Theophilus" in the Brancacci Chapel. He tried not to violate the plan of his great predecessor, so he painstakingly copied his manner. In addition, Filippino painted three new frescoes on the walls of the chapel that had remained empty until then. As an artist, Lippi Jr. became famous for altarpieces, portraits, frescoes, but especially for his drawings.

The Brancacci Chapel is a chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, famous for its early Renaissance wall paintings.

Frescoes by Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel revolutionized the European fine arts and predetermined the vector of its development for several centuries to come.

History of creation

In 1367, Piero di Puvicese Brancacci ordered the construction of a family chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, which was still under construction. For four hundred years the chapel belonged to the Brancacci family. Her most famous patron was the prominent statesman Felice de Michele Brancacci.

In 1422, Brancacci ordered the painting of the chapel famous master of that time Masolino da Panicale and the little-known young man Masaccio. The theme for the frescoes, namely original sin and the sermon of St. Peter, was designated by Brancacci himself. The choice of artists turned out to be so successful that the name of Brancacci was forever associated with the highest achievements in the art of Italy.

Masolino and Masaccio set to work, dividing among themselves different episodes from the life of St. Peter. However, it soon became clear that the styles of Masaccio and Masolino are completely different.

Yes, the fresco Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise"Amazes with its strength and sharpness of feelings that Masaccio put into it. If Masolino wrote Adam and Eve with maximum softness, then Masaccio expresses endless despair: Adam, covering his face with his hands, and Eve in sobs, with her mouth distorted by screaming.

In 1436, Brancacci was declared an enemy of the state. The work in the chapel is completely suspended.

Half a century later, the cycle of frescoes was completed by a talented master - Filippino Lippi, who can safely be called the spiritual heir of Masaccio. The frescoes have finally received their well-deserved recognition.

In 1171, a serious fire broke out in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, which destroyed almost all of its decoration. But, fortunately, the chapel was not damaged.

Artistic merit

The frescoes by Masaccio in the Brancacci chapel are considered a masterpiece of Renaissance painting, they are distinguished by the clarity of lines, the life-like concreteness in the depiction of characters and the ability to penetrate the characters of the depicted persons.

In addition, the great Masaccio lived only 27 years, and it was this cycle that remained his main work.

An important advantage of Masaccio's work was that he paid special attention to the reliable anatomy of his characters, applying the knowledge he received from antique sculpture- so his people seem to have real, massive bodies.

In addition, he places his frescoes in a real architectural environment, paying attention to the location of the window in the chapel, and painting objects as if they were illuminated from this light source.

Therefore, they seem three-dimensional: this volume is conveyed through powerful light and shadow modeling. In addition, people are scaled to the landscape background, which is also painted with light in mind. aerial perspective.

The main theme of the frescoes, on the recommendation of the customer, was the life of the Apostle Peter and original sin. The frescoes are arranged in two rows along the side and back walls of the chapel (the third row of lunettes is lost). On the bottom there is a panel imitating marble facing.

Michelino da Besozzo, The Betrothal of St. Catherine"

This painting, also painted in the 1420s, is an example of the International Gothic style, in comparison with which the realism of the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel was a real shock.

Scenes by Masaccio

A total of twelve scenes survive, six of which are entirely, or almost entirely, painted by Masaccio.

• The Falls of Adam and Eve
• "Exile from Paradise"
• "The Miracle with the Stater"
• "Peter's Sermon to Three Thousands"
• "The Baptism of Neophytes by Peter"
• "Peter's healing of the cripple"
• "The Resurrection of Tabitha"
• "Paul visits Peter in prison"
• "The Resurrection of the Son of Theophilus"
• "Peter Healing the Sick with His Shadow"
• "Peter distributing the property of the community among the poor"
• "The crucifixion of Peter and the argument between Peter and Simon Magus"
• An angel frees Peter from prison.

The Brancacci Chapel (Italian: Cappella Brancacci) is a chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, famous for its early Renaissance wall paintings. The frescoes by Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel revolutionized European fine art and predetermined the vector of its development for several centuries to come.

On February 20, 1367, Piero di Puvicese Brancacci ordered the construction of a family chapel in the Church of Carmine, which had been under construction since 1268. In the future, the Brancacci Chapel became not just a private family chapel, it played a significant role in public life Florence: it contained the famous icon of the 13th century Madonna del Popolo, which was the subject of public worship (trophies of the Pisan War were hung in front of it). Therefore, as V.N. Lazarev, and the painting that decorated the chapel contained a number of unambiguous allusions to the social events of that time. This room owes its famous fresco cycle to the descendant of the founder of the chapel, the rival of Cosimo the Elder Medici - an influential statesman Felice Brancacci (Italian: Felice Brancacci; 1382-c. 1450), who, around 1422, ordered Masolino and Masaccio to paint the chapel located in the right transept of the church (the exact documented dates of work on the frescoes have not been preserved). It is known that Felice Brancacci returned from an embassy in Cairo on February 15, 1423, and hired Masolino soon after. He completed the first stage of painting: he painted the now lost frescoes of the lunettes and vault, and then the artist left for Hungary. It is not known exactly when the second stage of painting began - Masolino returned from Hungary only in July 1427, but perhaps his work partner Masaccio set to work even before his return, to the 1st floor. 1420s Work on the frescoes was interrupted in 1436 after the return of Cosimo the Elder from exile. Felice Brancacci was imprisoned by him in 1435 for ten years in Kapodistria, after which in 1458 he was also declared a rebel with the confiscation of all property. The painting of the chapel was completed only half a century later, in the third stage, in 1480, by the artist Filippino Lippi, who managed to save stylistic features manners of their predecessors, painstakingly copying. (Moreover, according to contemporaries, he himself wanted to become an artist as a child, having seen the frescoes in this particular chapel). The chapel belonged to the Brancacci family for more than four hundred years - until August 18, 1780, when the Marquises of Ricordi signed an agreement on the redemption of patronage for 2000 scuds. In the 18th century, the frescoes were restored several times, and in 1771 they were badly damaged by soot. big fire. Restorations were carried out at the beginning of the 20th century and in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1988, the final large-scale restoration work by clearing. As Lazarev points out, the restorations of the 18th century affected not only painting, but also the architecture of the premises: a double-leaf lancet window (biforium), under which there was an altar and which reached the very top, was ...

Nicholas Eckstein. Painted Glories: the Brancacci Chapel in Renaissance Florence. Yale University Press. 288 p. £40 (hardcover). On the English language

Frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, begun Masolino, which was later joined Masaccio, and many years later completed Filippino Lippi, played a very important role in the formation of innovative painting of the Early Renaissance.

So far, no documents have been found regarding their order and the creation process. Since 1990, when a restoration project rich in discoveries was completed, our knowledge of the program of the painting cycle, its general sense and what roles Masolino and Masaccio played in the creation of the frescoes doubled.

This is the general background of the creation of the book Painted Glories: the Bran-cacci Cha-pel in Renais-sance Florence. In 2003, its author Nicholas Eckstein organized a symposium dedicated to the chapel, and then compiled a book with an introductory article from his materials and published it in 2007. In the next book, Eckstein, based on new archival materials, tried to "recreate how the inhabitants of Florence of that time perceived, understood and used the chapel." Reconstructing these sentiments is not an easy task, given their subjectivity and fragility. But Eckstein, an experienced historian specializing in the socio-economic and religious relations of 15th-century Florence, has carefully studied the city archives. The parish of Santa Maria del Carmine united many secular brotherhoods, some of which provided assistance to the poor residents of the Oltrarno area. This activity is reflected in the scene of distribution by the apostle Petro m of property for the poor, which Masaccio depicted on the altar wall of the Brancacci Chapel. Another feature of the "sacred space" of the Carmelite Church was the construction of a group of private chapels, the analysis of which is presented to us by the author.

At the time when Masaccio and Masolino were painting, the Brancacci Chapel belonged to Felice Brancacci(1382-1447), an influential silk merchant and well-connected statesman. The death of Masaccio in 1428 and Brancacci's expulsion from Florence ten years later brought the cycle to a halt. Perhaps the funds for its completion have already been exhausted or transferred to the treasury of the authorities. The chapel, its decoration and program were "a cultural product that was in active dialogue with the immediate environment, constantly being transformed, because the goals and methods of use were changing." With change historical conditions there was a need to finish what had already become an important point on the map of the city. The reason for this was the victory of Florence in the battle of Anghiari on June 29, 1440. It was attributed to the direct intervention of St. Peter, on whose feast day (together with St. Pavel) there was a fight. Thus, the status of the frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel, one of the most important of the extant images of the Apostle Peter, grew. The authority of the Carmelite order was also strengthened.

New funding for the project was found in the following years. One of the sources was the testament Anthony Velluti de Mezzola 1479. Another, according to Eckstein's hypothesis, was a will written in 1469 by Fra Giovanni di Giovanni, who a year later became the abbot of the monastery. In the final chapter, the author notes that over time Lorenzo de' Medici gave Santa Maria del Carmine more and more support; in addition, it was he who could play a decisive role in the choice of an artist under his patronage - Filippino Lippi, who was commissioned to complete the frescoes. Eckstein suggests that the Carmelite Brotherhood could also apply for financial support to another patron of Lippi - Piero del Pugliese, whose family, who lived in Oltrarno, had shortly before taken a prominent position in the city.

The chapel keeps one of the most inspired and beautiful cycles of frescoes in all Western European art, on which Masaccio worked with the participation of Masolino from 1425 to 1428. Half a century later, Filippino Lippi completed the frescoes. Recent restoration work (1984-1988) has removed all later layers and made it possible to restore the original proportions, where form, color and light merge together in perfect harmony.

In 1425, the then-famous master Masolino received an order from the wealthy Florentine Brancacci to paint the Brancacci family chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine (Santa Maria del Carmine). A little later, another artist, still a boy, joined the mature Mazolino. long name, which few people knew, because even the closest friends called him simply - Masaccio, which means "muff" in translation.

Two artists divided among themselves various episodes from the life of St. Peter, namely, a cycle of frescoes was to be dedicated to him, and set to work. It soon became clear that Mazila's creations had nothing to do with the traditional style of Mazolino. Masaccio was, in fact, the first who, using linear and aerial perspective, managed to build a surprisingly real space, place powerful figures of characters in it, truthfully depict their movements, postures, gestures, and then associate the scale and color of the figures with a natural or architectural background.

When I first saw the fresco "The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise", it seemed to me that before me the creation was not of the beginning of the Quattrocento, but of the 19th century - so Masaccio is ahead of his time in expressing the strength and sharpness of feeling. If Masolino, on the other side of the chapel, writes out Adam and Eve softly and sugarily, in Masaccio they are immersed in boundless despair: Adam, covering his face with his hands, and sobbing Eve, with sunken eyes and a dark failure of a mouth distorted by a cry.

On February 20, 1367, Piero di Puvicese Brancacci ordered the construction of a family chapel in the Church of Carmine, which had been under construction since 1268. Later, the Brancacci Chapel became not just a private family chapel, it played a significant role in the public life of Florence: it contained the famous icon of the 13th century Madonna del Popolo, which was the subject of public worship (trophies of the Pisan War were hung in front of it). Therefore, as V.N. Lazarev, and the painting that decorated the chapel contained a number of unambiguous allusions to the social events of that time.

If Giotto served as a harbinger of the Renaissance, then Masaccio, one might say, discovered the Renaissance in painting.

One autumn Roman day in 1428, Masaccio left the house and went to the workshop. He was 27 years old. Nobody ever saw him again.

1099 year. First Crusade. The knight, originally from Florence, is the first to climb over the Jerusalem wall, for which he receives from the grateful Gottfried of Bouillon two pieces of flint from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The knight brings the relic home, to the joy and pride of the Florentines, who keep the stones to this day. The knight's name is Pazzino Pazzi ("Pazzi" means "crazy").

1478. Rise of the Renaissance. Almost all of it the greatest masters already born: Raphael, Michelangelo and Giorgione are still children, but Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Filippino Lippi are already doing it with might and main. But they are not the main characters life of Florence, then the main city of the world. And the two brothers who are going to the Easter Mass: the younger one is a handsome man, a knight, a football player and a ladies' man (according to rumors, Simonetta Cattaneo, Spring and Venus Sandro Botticelli, is his lover) - Giuliano, and the older one is a politician, poet, lute player, philanthropist - Lorenzo. Their last name is Medici.

They have been ruling this city for almost 10 years, they have made it a city of constant holidays and entertainment, a city of music and poetry, an island of antiquity in the world of the Middle Ages. And only the big-nosed Savonarola, seeing this, constantly grumbles, but Lorenzo likes the monk.

The brothers do not know that they escaped death just recently. Twice they were invited to dinner, intending to be poisoned, but Giuliano's unexpected illness confused the cards for the conspirators. On the way, Cardinal Raffaello Riario joins them. He puts his arm around Giuliano's shoulders, checking for armor. There is no armor.

The chariot of history stops at a fork in the two roads. On one of the roads is written "Medici", on the other - "Pazzi", and they are the conspirators, representatives of the famous banking house and the second most influential family in Florence. It's hard to say why the Pazzi couldn't wait a couple more years. Lorenzo Medici no wonder they call it Magnificent, and magnificence is worth big money. As Machiavelli writes, Renato Pazzi even suggested, instead of a conspiracy, simply lend money to the Medici at a high interest rate. But the proposal did not pass - the instigator of the assassination, Pope Sixtus IV, did not have time to wait.

But back to Mass. The brothers are being pushed apart. Francesco Pazzi stabs Giuliano with such fury that he manages to injure himself at the same time. Giuliano is dead, later counted as 19 wounds. Lorenzo, wounded in the neck, is lucky: Angelo Poliziano, who quickly realized what was happening, manages to shove Lorenzo into the nearest chapel and push the attackers back with a sword.

After some time, Lorenzo with a bandaged neck appears on the balcony of his palace. The choice has been made. The chariot of history is gaining momentum along the Medici road. The procession of Pazzi supporters through the city, shouting "Down with the tyrant" and "People and freedom", is met by a hail of stones. An attempt to capture the city administration building also ends in failure.

Well, then ... Then everything was as usual. The townspeople set to work zealously and with wild rapture: most of both the Pazzi themselves and their supporters, real and imaginary, were torn to pieces by them. The boys in those days played football with their heads, and their mothers cooked soup from the hearts and livers of "enemies of the people". Those who did not get to the crowd were hung from the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio. Later, Dr. Annibal Lecter will do the same with the descendant of Pazzi. But it is in the book and in the movie. AT real life There were practically no Pazzi left, their property was confiscated, the coat of arms with dolphins was prohibited, Pazzi women were forbidden to marry under the threat of being accused of rebellion. Only the Pazzi Chapel, the masterpiece of the brilliant Brunelleschi, has survived. She will be discussed later.

The opponent of the assassination attempt, Renato Pazzi, also died, but the 17-year-old Cardinal Riario survived - first he went to prison, and then was sent back to Rome. But all this is another story, we are interested in the scene of the Pazzi conspiracy - Cathedral cities. We will talk about it in more detail.

In its place, at first, there was another church, the church of St. Reparata. Why exactly this saint, tortured in the 3rd century in Palestine, appeared on the night before decisive battle with the Goths in 405 to the commander Stilichus, science, as they say, is not known. But the Church of Reparat received after Stilikha's victory.

For more than half a thousand years, the church calmly defended itself, until, finally, a bright idea came into the dark Italian heads of the city authorities to build a new cathedral in its place, which, with its beauty and grandeur, was supposed to overshadow similar structures of Tuscan rival cities.

According to the idea of ​​the designers, the cathedral was supposed to accommodate the entire population of the city, which at that time was no less than 90,000 people. They dedicated the "covered square" to St. Virgin Mary with a lily flower in her hand (Santa Maria del Fiore), and in 1294 construction work began to boil. At one time they were even led by Giotto himself. However, he was quickly distracted by the campaign, which, however, he also did not have time to finish.

From the old church of Reparata, destroyed in 1375, the new cathedral inherited simple lines and two bell towers, as well as an old name that did not want to disappear from the heads of the townspeople. This problem was solved in the same way as they always solve such problems: the city authorities imposed heavy fines for using the old name - and the new name was introduced. The facade of the cathedral remained unfinished and delighted the eye with statues of Donatello, until he, not Donatello, of course, at the direction of Francesco I de Medici, was replaced with a painted canvas, having previously put his old slabs on a new floor. The canvas survived until the 19th century. And then Florence became for a while the capital of Italy - and voluntarily-compulsorily acquired a facade that everyone didn’t like right away, and continues to dislike everyone to this day. Oh, to return that one, "unfinished" ...

The cathedral itself has retained its severe appearance to this day, although it has been decorated for several centuries with numerous works of art. We will focus on a few of them in particular. Since the essence of the Renaissance was to learn how to manage reality, the doctrine of perspective played an important role. Perspective in painting was introduced by Masaccio, which became one of the main events in the history of painting. His "Trinity" is written on the wall of the Duomo, but the skeleton of Adam, the first man, seems to lie in a recess under a stone ledge. There is also an inscription: "I was what you are, and I am what you will become." And above the ledge - the crucified Christ hangs on a cross in real space, as if in a lateral limit. It is hard to believe that these are not volumetric forms, but only paintings.

Masaccio's doctrine of perspective was developed in the works of another Renaissance genius, Paolo Uccello. The new occupation absorbed Uccello completely, day and night without a break he drew something, came up with formulas ... When his young wife reminded him that it was time to sleep, he, with difficulty looking up from his work, exclaimed: "What a sweet thing is perspective" . The wife, they say, was very offended.

It is difficult to say whether the Florentines were greedy or they really did not have money then, but equestrian statue to the famous condottiere John Hawkwood, who defended the city for a record long time, they decided to replace it with a corresponding fresco in the Duomo. The fresco was commissioned to be done by Uccello. He did it: a huge monochrome (one-color) fresco depicts not a living person, but his equestrian statue, but not a simple one. The viewer looks at the lower pedestal from the bottom up, and at Hawkwood with the horse that lives on this very pedestal, from top to bottom. This is the big picture. Who say cubism invented? What century?

The avant-garde rarely meets the understanding of contemporaries - and in this case it did not. There was a scandal. Miraculously, the fresco was not smeared. Lucky.

About Uccello, this most mysterious genius of the Quattrocento, who was ahead of his time, we will talk more about it if we still dare to go to the Uffizi Gallery (and you won’t get out there, after all!), but for now let’s pay attention to the clock with a 24-hour dial, going in the wrong direction, the work of the same Uccello, who would doubt it. By the way, they are still going...