Masaccio:
Saint Andrew and
the Pisa Altarpiece
by
Eliot W. Rowlands
J. Paul Getty Museum,
Los Angeles, CA, 2003
128 pp., Illus. 1 color
foldout, 47 b/w, 29 col.
Paper, $19.95
ISBN 0-89236-286-3.
Reviewed by Amy Ione
The Diatrope Institute
ione@diatrope.com
"The appearance of
a man of outstanding creative
talent is very often accompanied
by that of another great
artist at the same time
and in the same part of
the world so that the
two can inspire and emulate
each other . . . .
How true this is we can
see from the fact that
in the same period Florence
produced Filippo Brunelleschi,
Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti,
Paolo Uccello, and Masaccio,
each of whom was an outstanding
artist and through whose
efforts the crude and
clumsy style which had
preserved up to that time
was finally discarded."
Lives of the Artists,
Giorgio Vasari (2nd
Edition, 1568)
Vasari's far-reaching
biography of Italian artists
Le Vite de' più
eccelenti architetti,
pittori, et scultori italiani
(The Lives of the Most
Eminent Italian Architects,
Painters, and Sculptors),
first published in 1550
(and revised in 1568),
remains the principal
source regarding his contemporaries
and earlier Italian Renaissance
artists. The extent of
this biographer's influence
is particularly revealing
when we turn to an artist
like Masaccio (1401-1428).
Born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni
di Mone Cassai, Vasari
observed that Masaccio,
which is generally translated
as "Sloppy Tom," was so
devoted to his work that
"he refused to give any
time to worldly causes,
even in the way of dress."
This comment provided
the name history chose.
The author's praise, on
the other hand, laid the
foundation for sources
today that mention Masaccio
as one of the first Italian
painters to use the science
of perspective to create
the illusion of three-dimensional
space in paintings. Indeed
his mastery of light and
one-point perspective
was so convincing for
his time that scholars
say it contributed to
the development of the
Florentine Renaissance
style of painting. Sadly,
Masaccio died mysteriously
at the age of twenty-seven.
We can only speculate
on what he might have
accomplished if he had
survived to experiment
with oil paint, a new
technology that fascinated
artists in the decades
following his death.
Published by the Getty
Museum, Masaccio: Saint
Andrew And The Pisa Altarpiece
by Eliot W. Rowlands (Senior
Researcher, Wildenstein
and Company, New York)
is a compact monograph
that embeds Masaccio's
overall accomplishments
into its analysis of the
multi-paneled painting
of which the Getty's Saint
Andrew panel is to
have once formed a part.
Rowlands explains that
this altarpiece is one
of the truly great polyptychs
in the history of Italian
Renaissance art. Produced
in 1426 for a chapel in
the church of Santa Maria
del Carmine, Pisa, the
work offers a particularly
effective vantage point
on Masaccio. One of two
works by the artist we
can date precisely, and
the only painting of his
that was documented, Rowlands'
focus on the commission
for the multi-paneled
altarpiece includes details
on its patron and program.
These are alongside speculations
about it original location
and the role the church
friars played in the actual
commission. In sum, each
existing panel offers
some perspective and the
composite presents a sense
of context as well as
how the community contributed
to historical works we
look at today. Appreciably
enhancing the mix is the
compelling information
detailing all we have
learned through conservation
efforts and a section
on the life of the Pisa
Altarpiece after it
was dismantled.
Saint Andrew (like
other known panels) illustrates
that artists of this time
began to increasingly
aspire to turn the two-dimensional
surface into the naturalism
of a three-dimensional
reality. Notations to
this effect in the Getty
piece include the use
of light to create the
appearance of space and
perspectival cues in modeling
the cross and the book
the saint holds.
Other surviving panels
that are examined include
the central panel of The
Virgin and Child,
which has been slightly
cropped, three predellas,
six of the twelve saints,
and four side panels.
All are considered in
light of speculation on
unknown sections of the
altarpiece. In this way
Rowlands conveys that
our knowledge of their
original setting and arrangement
is quite limited. Indeed,
there are nine competing
views today on the overall
arrangement for the third
of the painted area we
have no trace. Interestingly,
in light of Vasari's role
in forming later views
of Masaccio, the only
eyewitness account of
the piece in situ
is found in Vasari's revised
edition (1568) of his
Lives. Vasari's
detailed description,
published in the year
that the Church of Santa
Maria del Carmine underwent
reconstruction, suggests
he examined the work firsthand
before the renovation,
which lasted until 1574.
The new construction totally
altered the location,
lining the walls with
altarpieces by the then
contemporary Tuscan painters.
Most of these remain in
the Church to this day.
The overall appeal of
Masaccio: Saint Andrew
and the Pisa Altarpiece
stems from this author's
ability to give the reader
a sense of an artistic
community that included
Masaccio. Rowlands conveys
this by juxtaposing this
master's work with that
of his influential contemporaries.
For example, The Tribute
Money, a work that
shows observation has
heightened the mimetic
illusionism power of paintings,
is said to be one on which
Masaccio and Masolino
collaborated. Historical
studies generally attribute
the main action to Masaccio
while the head of Jesus
is widely considered to
be the work of his senior
partner Masolino. Although
17 years older, Rowlands
states that the painters
worked simultaneously
rather than sequentially.
In fact, however, there
is no evidence of their
true relationship, and
it seems quite likely
that Masolino gave Masaccio
benefit of his extensive
artistic experience with
altarpieces, perspective,
and the depiction of artistic
space. Equally fascinating
are the sections outlining
Donatello's influences.
Donatello's inspiration
is convincingly presented
through the referenced
pieces (e.g. Masaccio's
evocative Virgin and
Child, 1426, suggests
a debt to a piece attributed
to Donatello, The Madonna
and Child with Four Angels,
1420-25). Indeed, throughout
Masaccio's oeuvre, the
sculpture of Donatello
had a profound effect
that brings a sense of
humanness to his work.
We can easily imagine
these artists in their
studios exchanging ideas
since the works compared
were completed over several
years.
One aspect worthy of note
is the care that was taken
in printing the book.
As a person who is attracted
to the visual language
of art, I always appreciate
materials that acknowledge
the degree to which art
history is enhanced by
visual documentation.
This book succeeds admirably
in its visual presentation.
For example, in many art
books handsome foldouts
are tucked within the
pages and, while useful
to some degree, impede
the flow of the reading
process. Here, instead,
the author's view of the
altarpiece reconstruction
is carefully folded into
the back cover. When unfolded
the map lies next to the
printed pages for easy
reference. Although it
was a bit small, I truly
appreciated how easy it
was to keep turning the
pages without having to
fumble for the foldout.
In summary, this book
serves its purpose well.
Included in the Getty's
Museum Studies on Art
series, it is a wonderful
resource on this exceptional
artist. Rowlands brings
a great deal of expertise
to his examination as
he recounts the paintings'
religious themes, their
histories, Masaccio's
commissions, the subsequent
history of the panels,
and how art historians
came to identify them.
Numerous footnotes offer
the reader abundant leads
to more comprehensive
literature such as contributions
by Beck, Joannides, and
Strehlke. Readers will
also appreciate the range
of visual documentation
used to illustrate the
work of Masaccio and his
contemporaries. Finally,
reading through the book
brings to mind that popular
views of art history are
often limited to generalizations
that lose track of important
historical figures. This
monograph gives Masaccio
his due. Yet, while doing
so, certain devices would
have been helpful. In
particular it is unfortunate
that the book does not
have an index. The omission
makes it difficult to
return to a particular
section when it comes
to mind later. Still,
all in all, Rowlands conveys
why many scholars rank
Masaccio as the greatest
master of early Italian
Renaissance painting.
Quite a revolutionary
in his day, Masaccio's
achievements are clearly
worth considering in light
of others (e.g, Alberti,
Brunelleschi, and Donatello)
that come to mind when
we reflect on the founding
fathers of the Renaissance.
References:
Beck, J. (1978), Masaccio:
The Documents (Locust
Vally, NY: J. J. Augustin).
Joannides, P. (1993),
Masaccio and Masolino:
A Complete Catalog
(London: Phaidon / Abrams).
Strehlke, C., & Frosinini,
C. (2002), The Panel
Paintings of Masolino
and Masaccio: The Role
of Technique (London:
5 Continents Editions).
Vasari, G. (1967), Lives
of Artists (New York:
Clarion).
