Pintoricchio — Libreria Piccolomini, Duomo di Siena

Text by Frida De Salve — photographs by B. Balestrini

On the threshold of the 16th century, to Bernardino di Betto, known as “Pintoricchio”, was given the task of frescoing the Library in the Duomo di Siena.

The patron was Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini Todeschini, the future Pius III, who wished, with that work, to pay homage to the memory of his uncle, Enea Silvio Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II.

At the centre of the Library the cardinal had placed the marble Three Graces, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original. He wanted to turn that hall into a glorification of Enea Silvio, a most refined humanist, a supreme poet, a great diplomat and, finally, a great Pope.

The contract between the cardinal and Pintoricchio was signed on 29 June 1502, full of clauses in which the painter undertook not to accept other commissions until the work in question was finished.

It was later established that in the first months of 1503 Pintoricchio was still in Perugia, perhaps busy sketching the first drawings for the Sienese Library, where he seems to have been strongly influenced by the then young Raphael.

Meanwhile his pupils, Matteo Balducci da Fontignano, Eusebio da San Giorgio and Giovanni di Francesco Ciambella, known as “il Fantasia”, had begun to decorate the vault, following the Master’s drawings and the patron’s wishes, with mythological scenes and figures in often far from chaste poses. This, however, could not and should not have been a cause for scandal, since the Library was not intended for any kind of religious worship, a situation made clear also, and above all, by the presence of the statue of the Three Graces and by the function of the Library, intended to house the masterpieces of classical literature, of which Enea Silvio was a great admirer.

On 21 September 1503, Francesco became Pope, on 8 October he was crowned and on the 18th, of that same month, moriva.

After the Pope’s death, Pintoricchio considered himself automatically released from all the clauses and, indeed, did not touch the work for the whole of 1504. Work resumed in 1505 thanks to a new contract, this time signed with the Pontiff’s brother, Andrea Piccolomini. He commissioned a further scene, not foreseen in the original project, the Papal Coronation of Pius III, which surmounts the marble front of the Library. This fresco, the first to be painted, already shows the main ideas of the work, but did not meet with much success. The upper scene, in which the Pontiff is depicted between the two cardinals, is rather monotonous and lacking in creative flair, while some motifs and figures worthy of greater interest are found only in the lower part.

The interior of the Library offers the viewer an unforgettable spectacle. Many are those who, on entering the Library, have tried to describe that room, suffused with such luminosity and such richness of colour, as to be unrivalled.

Pintoricchio, in fact, manages to describe the life and deeds of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, depicting them in the colours of a beautiful, magical fairy tale.

But this gift of his has certainly not protected him from the criticism that has followed over the years.

Opinion ranges, in fact, from the great enthusiasm of early visitors, who, it is now certain, were strongly swayed by the belief that the young Raphael had taken part in the paintings, to the excessive and unjust condemnations of recent critics.

Despite everything, even the severest critics have found a particular charm emanating from the room in which Pintoricchio carried out his last great undertaking.

In this regard it is right to recall Berenson who, although he classified this work as late and as one of the worst examples of Umbrian painting of the early 16th century, had to admit that the frescoes possess an “undeniable enchantment”. According to Berenson, this is probably due to the perfect architectural and decorative division of the space, which makes the room so airy and so clearly articulated as to leave the viewer astonished.

In the stories of Pius II, too, analysis reveals a considerable contribution from the above-mentioned assistants, but, compared with the ceiling, perhaps thanks to greater coordination, a great overall unity can be seen.

It is also essential to reflect on how Pintoricchio, brilliantly, resolves this work, which deals with a decidedly arid theme, monotonous, devoid of imaginative possibilities, of picturesque and romantic cues. The work, in fact, consists of a series of depictions of official ceremonies among wealthy personages, devoid of any appeal.

Nevertheless Pintoricchio, forced to work with his patrons always at his back, ready to defend the honour of their great ancestor at every turn, and unable to allow himself any particular extravagance, felt at ease in carrying out that tedious work, making the best use of his imagination and always introducing into the paintings stimulating motifs worthy of interest: elegant pages and splendid youths, as if placed to compensate for the absence of feminine grace and frivolity, motifs not permitted in that context, and, above all, the splendid landscapes in which he set the tedious ceremonies. The landscapes created by his imagination consist of blue-green gulfs into which ships burst, great squares enriched by airy porticoes, clear blue skies adorned with ducks and falcons, towering poplars and cypresses and even oriental palms.

In this regard, it should be pointed out that almost all these splendid landscape backgrounds in the Piccolomini stories were painted by Pintoricchio himself, without help from his collaborators; moreover, in most of the frescoes the accessories of the figures depicted stand out: footwear, damasks, silks, brocades, which under the Master’s brush take on a surprisingly natural appearance, thanks above all to the use of intense, vivid colours that, set side by side, seem to give life to floral compositions.

This brief introduction to the work in the Libreria Piccolomini may therefore be concluded by stating that, despite all the defects the critics have highlighted over the years, it is almost impossible to find another work of that period, or even by Pintoricchio himself, that displays such imaginative quality, such intense richness of colour and such great inventiveness in developing a secular story.

It must be made clear, however, that to understand and appreciate it fully, it is necessary to detach it from the works of Perugino, of Raphael and from the great cycles of the Renaissance, and consider it, rather, the last great work produced in the wake of late Gothic taste.

The photographs

DEPARTURE OF ENEA SILVIO PICCOLOMINI FOR THE COUNCIL OF BASEL. Enea Silvio Piccolomini is portrayed at the moment when, at the age of twenty-seven, he leaves for the Council of Basel as secretary to Cardinal Domenico Capranica, thus beginning his diplomatic career. The young man is shown in the foreground, from behind and turning round, on a white horse; in the background, amid clouds and showers, Sardinia and Corsica can be glimpsed, while on the right are the buildings representing Telamone. Behind the Cardinal several figures can be seen, among whom stands out a page with a very beautiful face (for years it was wrongly thought to be by Raphael’s hand), who, from his restless horse, holds a splendid, elegant greyhound on a leash. The fresco is autograph in the main figures: Enea Silvio with his horse, the head of the Cardinal, the faces of the two grooms, the handsome face of the page on the left. Much of the background is almost certainly the work of assistants, since, compared with Pintoricchio’s backgrounds, it appears too dry and map-like. This fresco is nonetheless one of the best in the cycle, perhaps because it is the first in the series but, very probably, because it narrates the story of a journey, which is perhaps why the artist could give freer rein to his fancy than in the tedious narration of official celebrations.

ENEA SILVIO AS AMBASSADOR TO THE KING OF SCOTLAND. Enea Silvio, on behalf of the Council of Basel, goes to the King of Scotland, James I, to persuade him to support Charles VII against the English. The episode sorely tests even Pintoricchio’s great inventiveness, which here produces a tediously symmetrical composition in which not a single figure worthy of attention can be made out. The most interesting part of the painting is the landscape which, the fruit of pure imagination, makes a fantastic setting, among Pintoricchio’s finest, with the wonderful contrast created by the green shadows of the plants and trees against the brilliantly luminous background of the sky.

ENEA SILVIO CROWNED POET BY FREDERICK III. Among the many figures arranged in the great square of Aachen, Enea Silvio can be seen being crowned poet by the Emperor Frederick III. The figures attending the ceremony look almost like transfers, stuck on and motionless, which, despite their diminishing size, do not take part in the spatiality of the setting according to a logical perspectival order. They seem arranged so as to make the observer curious to roam within that setting in search of curious and amusing details, the most striking example being the depiction of a man beating a woman. The background is formed by a strange and evocative building which, by its structure, is uninhabitable and, beyond its porticoes, affords a glimpse of open countryside. Although the painting appears somewhat diffuse in its composition, with the figures unconnected to one another because of an almost non-existent perspective framework, it has been judged one of the best in the cycle, thanks to its careful execution, and is considered largely autograph.

ENEA SILVIO MAKES AN ACT OF SUBMISSION TO EUGENE IV. Frederick III delegates Piccolomini to go to Pope Eugene IV, as he needs to agree with him a treaty to restore diplomatic relations between the Roman Church and the German court. The scene shows Enea Silvio being absolved and blessed as he submits to the Pontiff by kissing his foot. The painting, again because of its subject, is poor and rather arid in its compositional scheme. Everything seems monotonous and the figures almost lifeless, especially the two clumsy cardinals depicted from behind in the foreground. The whole is fortunately redeemed by some portraits which the Master, with his interpretative skill, manages to endow with great expressiveness.

MEETING OF FREDERICK III AND ELEANOR OF ARAGON. Here Pintoricchio’s great mastery deservedly returns to the fore, as he depicts in this scene the meeting between Frederick III and Eleanor of Aragon, whose marriage had been arranged by Enea Silvio; he himself presides over the meeting with an oration dedicated to the bride. The episode takes place outside the Porta Camollia, and the credit for its success should probably be attributed to the many compositional details. Here, in an almost fairy-tale atmosphere, the Master introduces several real elements. Indeed, one sees several portraits of real and easily recognisable people. Among these stand out Messer Alberto Alighieri, Superintendent of Works of the Duomo, in the black cape bearing the White Cross of the Knights of Malta, Andrea Nanni Piccolomini with his wife, and others besides, all depicted in sumptuous clothes. Another point of great interest is the place of the meeting, described impeccably. In the background, indeed, one sees the Sienese landscape, with its villages, towers and churches, the façade of the Duomo Nuovo and, in the centre, the commemorative column surmounted by the coats of arms of the bride and groom. The fresco can be considered almost entirely autograph, with the exception of the figure of the woman in the pink cloak on the right, which is rather too stiff and disproportionate to be by the Master’s hand.

ENEA SILVIO PICCOLOMINI RECEIVES THE CARDINAL’S HAT. In 1456 Enea Silvio receives the cardinal’s hat from Pope Callixtus III. From this fresco onwards the assistants take a greater part in the execution of the work, which is rather evident from certain lapses in the composition. That said, however, it must be acknowledged that the scene presents an organic composition, less diffuse than the previous ones, with a masterly transition from the brightness of the foreground to the half-light of the background. In the centre of the chapel stands an altar with an altarpiece depicting the Madonna between Sts. James and Andrew. Among the portraits, those of Piccolomini and the Pope are the most prominent, skilfully characterised by gaunt, prematurely aged features.

THE PAPAL CORONATION OF PIUS II. The scene shows the Pope, depicted on the sedia gestatoria beneath the canopy bearing the Piccolomini arms, as he takes possession of the Lateran Basilica; before him, the Sacristan sets fire to a tuft of cloth and pronounces the ritual admonition. The only lively note of colour inside the dark nave comes from a shaft of slanting light that illuminates the white headdresses of the bishops, placed at the centre of the scene in a clever geometric composition. Despite the various lapses in quality caused by the hand of assistants, there are some noteworthy elements, such as the head of the Pontiff, depicted with pale, hollow cheeks, almost as if to show the poor health he was already suffering from at the age of forty-five, and the portrait of the man standing on the right. Thanks to its compositional unity and to the atmosphere recreated by Pintoricchio through the use of light, the fresco represents one of the finest moments in the Master’s stylistic career.

PIUS II HOLDS AN ASSEMBLY IN MANTUA FOR THE CRUSADE. The scene takes place in Mantua, where the Pope summons the Christian princes concerning the crusade against the Turks. This is considered, without any doubt, the worst painting in the series. This verdict rests on the lack of narrative rhythm, the mediocre execution and the disjointed composition. Only the head of the Pope and the small group of figures depicted behind the parapet, who watch the event with curiosity, stand out.

THE CANONISATION OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA. On 29 June 1461 Pope Pius II, in a solemn ceremony, decrees the canonisation of the Saint. Unfortunately, the scene is divided into two separate parts that do not communicate. The upper part depicts the ceremony proper, in the presence of the Saint’s remains. Below, a series of figures idly watch the event. Widespread, but unfounded, is the belief that the Master wished to portray Raphael in the young man at the lower left and himself in the one beside him. These two figures, in fashionable dress, are depicted with such beauty and delicacy of features that they are considered among the finest in the cycle, enough to make up for the expressionless dullness of the other figures.

PIUS II ARRIVES IN ANCONA TO HASTEN THE CRUSADE. Although he is ill, Pius II arrives in Ancona on 18 June 1464 to await the Venetian fleet that was to undertake the Crusade against the Turks. The figures depicted in the foreground, copied from Bellini, are skilfully characterised and among the best in the cycle. Among them can be recognised the Doge Cristoforo Moro, kneeling on the left and solemnly dressed; on the right, facing Moro and also kneeling, Hassan Zaccaria, Prince of Samos, deposed and awaiting the outcome of the Crusade; and, standing on the right, Calepino Bajazet, known as “il Turchetto”, melancholy and elegant, the Pontiff’s hostage. After this parade of figures the visitor’s eye falls, as always, on the splendid scenery of the background, which represents Ancona, with the sea dotted with sails, the harbour, the pier with the Arch of Trajan and the Duomo di San Ciriaco, depicted, however, as a small fifteenth-century church. The cypress and the two black birds have sometimes been identified as symbols of the Pope’s imminent death; he would indeed die in Ancona two months later, on 15 August 1464.

Source

Bruno Balestrini’s thais.it site