St. Ansanus
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Authors
Francesco di Valdambrino, attributed to
Date
Type
image
Language
Keyword
St. Ansanus
Alternative Title
Abstract
This painted wood sculpture in Santi Paolino e Donato, Lucca, has been attributed to the Sienese specialist in wood sculpture, Francesco di Valdambrino. The date was debated until the fragmentary but legible date was discovered on the base of the sculpture: MCCCCXIIII. Technical examination has revealed a split in the wood of the face, which has been filled with stucco, giving the face when seen head-on an odd appearance. This early Christian saint, a Roman who was baptized Christian and martyred when still young under Diocletian, is shown with the ample folds of classical statuary. St. Ansanus, according to some accounts, fled to Siena and preached there, causing many to convert. He is therefore one of the patron saints of Siena. The location, high in a niche behind glass in a dark church, make this work difficult to view and photograph. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
Santi Paolino e Donato, Lucca
Citation
Clara Baracchini, ed., Scultura lignea: Lucca 1200-1425 (Florence: Studio Per Edizioni Scelte, 1995), 176, 178, 181.