Traditio, from painter to painter:Benozzo Gozzoli, Desiderio da Subiaco and Siciolante

Bonozzo Gozzoli(1420-1497) has been a Italian painter and he has, involuntary, suggested some stylistic characteristic to other two painters next Rome, these are Desiderio da Subiaco, in 15 century, and Girolamo Siciolante(1521-1575); to the first, this is Desiderio, he has given the typical folds of cloth(Figs.1-2), in Camerae pinctae of Caetani castle, that are one of a major appointment to Desiderio during his pictorial life; he has worked also in Affile(Fig.3) and Cori, in church of saint Oliva(Fig.4), other works in Sermoneta and other town of Lazio. What is influence of Benozzo on Desiderio? The cloth, as above said is directly influence of Benozzo, the confront to two manners is more evident(Figs.5-6), are model to Subiaco to his folds in Camerae pinctae of Caetani castle(Figs.1-2); we can date these frescos about 1492, when Desiderio in Sermoneta, dated the Universal judgement, painted in counter facade of cathedral of Sermoneta(Fig.7), in 1492, this is 32 years after that Gozzoli has painted the Virgin of angels, in same cathedral of Sermoneta(Fig.8), the angels below(Fig.9) has suggested to Desiderio the folds, that he used to Camerae, and same Gozzoli has suggested also the posture of a Saint Francis in same cathedral(Figs.9a-9b). After Benozzo, Desiderio has suggested to Siciolante from composition his frescos of Camerae pinctae(Figs.1-2), the iconography to his Virgin and saints(Fig.11), now in Caetani castle, and datable 1521; in fact Siciolante has took from Desiderio the niches and has translated to Virgin above mentioned(Figs.1-2), instead to saint Lorenz on right of Virgin, Siciolante has took a female figure on right of Moses of Michelangelo(Fig.12), datable abot 1513-1516, that after he has interpreted, but the model is this figure; but Girolamo didn’t lost other Virgin of Gozzoli in Saint Angel in Pescheria, Rome; the angels on sides has substituted the saints, but the curtain is present behind the Virgin; hence Siciolante has interpreted two masters of a century precedent to his, Gozzoli and Desiderio da Subiaco, therefore it is traditio, from Latin, that meanings pass on or hand down; it is normal in painting culture and humanistic sciences, but important is find these models, and this pledge is our. A note both historical, the saint on right, this is saint Lorenz, has a book instead usually stone as attribute, it is normal but this saint has almost always the stone, why here has alone the book? Simple, because this altarpiece has commissioned from Caetani family, lords of Sermoneta, that was informed about the disputes of Luther and his rules to Protestantism; therefore, the book that represents the Gospel is an homage from family Caetani to Church.  

Alessandro Lusana   

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