Polyptych, Santa Maria del Pozzo (Monte San Martino)
The polyptych was created by Vittore Crivelli for the church of Santa Maria del Pozzo in Monte San Martino. Today it is located in the church of San Martino Vescovo, which has become a veritable museum, where other works are also housed: the polyptych of San Martino by Carlo and Vittore, the triptych by Vittore from 1490, and the altarpiece by Girolamo di Giovanni da Camerino dated 1473.
The polyptych for the church of Santa Maria del Pozzo bears an inscription on the step of the Virgin's throne, which reads: “OPUS VICTORIS CRIVELLI / VENETI 1489.”
It still has its original frame, which marks a turning point in the artist's work. In fact, he abandoned the slender Gothic forms in favor of a more architectural style, composed of saints positioned under strongly lowered arches and square columns.
The change can even be seen in the background of the scenes, which shifts from the usual gold, sometimes granulated to make the work even richer, to a blue sky that in this case fades from light to dark.
In 1834, Amico Ricci pointed out that the polyptych has come down to us without a narrative predella.
The main panel depicts the Madonna seated on a throne holding the Child. The latter is shown standing on his mother's knees and leaning to her right. In fact, he is entrusting the keys to Paradise to the figure depicted in the panel on the left.
The opposite panel depicts Saint Paul holding a long sword, which unfortunately has lost the silver foil that had been inserted using the gouache technique to simulate the shine of the blade.
Above the Madonna and Child is painted the Pietà accompanied by the symbols of the Passion, while on the right panel is Saint Michael the Archangel, wearing armor and holding a sword and scales in one hand, opposite which is Saint Martin on horseback.
It is interesting to note how the silver has fallen off the blades of St. Paul and St. Martin, leaving the bolus visible, unlike the foil applied to the attribute of St. Michael the Archangel.
It can be observed that the characters represented by Vittore in the compartments of the polyptych are taken directly from the works of his brother Carlo: the three-quarter view of St. Peter is modeled on the same saint represented in the polyptych for the church of San Francesco di Montefiore dell'Aso, while St. Michael the Archangel refers to the one painted in the dismantled polyptych of San Domenico in Fermo.
Vittore Crivelli
Polittico, 1489
Firmato e datato: OPUS VICTORIS CRIVELLI VENETI 1489
Tempera su tavola, 194×212 cm
Ordine inferiore
Madonna col Bambino in trono, S. Pietro, S. Paolo
Ordine superiore
Ecce Homo, S. Michele Arcangelo, S. Martino
Cuspide (forse aggiunta in seguito)
Sudario e cornucopie
Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo
Via Armindo Ricci
Monte San Martino (MC)
Polyptych, Santa Maria del Pozzo (Monte San Martino)
The polyptych was created by Vittore Crivelli for the church of Santa Maria del Pozzo in Monte San Martino. Today it is located in the church of San Martino Vescovo, which has become a veritable museum, where other works are also housed: the polyptych of San Martino by Carlo and Vittore, the triptych by Vittore from 1490, and the altarpiece by Girolamo di Giovanni da Camerino dated 1473.
The polyptych for the church of Santa Maria del Pozzo bears an inscription on the step of the Virgin's throne, which reads: “OPUS VICTORIS CRIVELLI / VENETI 1489.”
It still has its original frame, which marks a turning point in the artist's work. In fact, he abandoned the slender Gothic forms in favor of a more architectural style, composed of saints positioned under strongly lowered arches and square columns.
The change can even be seen in the background of the scenes, which shifts from the usual gold, sometimes granulated to make the work even richer, to a blue sky that in this case fades from light to dark.
In 1834, Amico Ricci pointed out that the polyptych has come down to us without a narrative predella.
The main panel depicts the Madonna seated on a throne holding the Child. The latter is shown standing on his mother's knees and leaning to her right. In fact, he is entrusting the keys to Paradise to the figure depicted in the panel on the left.
The opposite panel depicts Saint Paul holding a long sword, which unfortunately has lost the silver foil that had been inserted using the gouache technique to simulate the shine of the blade.
Above the Madonna and Child is painted the Pietà accompanied by the symbols of the Passion, while on the right panel is Saint Michael the Archangel, wearing armor and holding a sword and scales in one hand, opposite which is Saint Martin on horseback.
It is interesting to note how the silver has fallen off the blades of St. Paul and St. Martin, leaving the bolus visible, unlike the foil applied to the attribute of St. Michael the Archangel.
It can be observed that the characters represented by Vittore in the compartments of the polyptych are taken directly from the works of his brother Carlo: the three-quarter view of St. Peter is modeled on the same saint represented in the polyptych for the church of San Francesco di Montefiore dell'Aso, while St. Michael the Archangel refers to the one painted in the dismantled polyptych of San Domenico in Fermo.
