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Lot Essay
A significant figure in late Gothic painting in Venice, Zanino di Pietro established his career there following an early period of activity in Bologna. His distinctive style blended local Venetian traditions with influences from Gentile da Fabriano and the broader International Gothic, resulting in compositions of distinct emotional intensity and refined technique.
In this intimately scaled Crucifixion, Zanino condenses a complex narrative into a narrow pictorial field. At left, the Virgin collapses in grief, supported by one of the mourning women; opposite them stand Saint John the Evangelist and Stephaton, with two additional figures pressed behind. At the center, a blonde Mary Magdalene lifts her tearful gaze toward the lifeless body of Christ, rendered in stark, pale tones. The panel's iconography and format suggest it originally formed the central pinnacle of a polyptych, likely flanked by narrower wings in keeping with Venetian practice. Its unusually small size, however, also supports the possibility that it was intended for private devotion.
The softly modeled forms, restrained naturalism, and distinctive physiognomies—seen in the heavy-lidded eyes and full lips of the female figures and the robust anatomy of Christ—are characteristic of Zanino’s later paintings. The panel can be dated to circa 1411-12 based on its close affinities with the artist’s documented work for the Franciscans at Fonte Colombo.
In this intimately scaled Crucifixion, Zanino condenses a complex narrative into a narrow pictorial field. At left, the Virgin collapses in grief, supported by one of the mourning women; opposite them stand Saint John the Evangelist and Stephaton, with two additional figures pressed behind. At the center, a blonde Mary Magdalene lifts her tearful gaze toward the lifeless body of Christ, rendered in stark, pale tones. The panel's iconography and format suggest it originally formed the central pinnacle of a polyptych, likely flanked by narrower wings in keeping with Venetian practice. Its unusually small size, however, also supports the possibility that it was intended for private devotion.
The softly modeled forms, restrained naturalism, and distinctive physiognomies—seen in the heavy-lidded eyes and full lips of the female figures and the robust anatomy of Christ—are characteristic of Zanino’s later paintings. The panel can be dated to circa 1411-12 based on its close affinities with the artist’s documented work for the Franciscans at Fonte Colombo.