Virgin and child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater thumbnail 1
Virgin and child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Cast Courts, Room 46b, The Weston Cast Court

Virgin and child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater

Relief
1448-1449 (sculpted), ca. 1869 (cast)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a plaster cast after the terracotta original made by Nicolo Pizolo in about 1448-1449, in the church of the Eremitani, Padua. Casting was done by Giovanni da Pisa, about 1869, in Venice. This caster represents the Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, Saint John the Baptist, James the Greater, Christopher and Anthony Abbot.

This altarpiece was damaged when the Eremitani was bombed during the war, and is now better preserved in the cast than in the original. In 1443, Antonio Ovetari left 700 ducats in his will for the decoration of his chapel. This sum was divided equally between four painters: Giovanni d'Alemagna (d. 1450) working in partnership with Antonio Vivarini (active 1440, d. between 1476/84) and Nicolò Pizolo working with Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). An arbitration of 7 September, 1449 states that "master Nicolò alone is to make and complete, decorate and gild the altarpiece" together with a specified portion of the frescoes, making it clear that of the four painters, Nicolò alone was responsible for the execution of the altar. On 8 July 1448, Giovanni da Pisa paid £ 68 8s for work on the altarpiece. As Giovanni da Pisa was a sculptor, who, together with Nicolò Pizolo, had assisted Donatello (1386-1466) in the execution of the High altar for the Santo, it seems probably that he assisted in the production of the terracotta relief for the Ovetari altarpiece, while Nicolò Pizolo would have been responsible for its design together with the painted decoration and gilding.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleVirgin and child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster Cast
Brief description
Plaster cast, of the relief of the Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, Saint John the Baptist, James the Greater, Christopher and Anthony Abbot, after the terracotta original in the Ovetari Chapel in the church of the Eremitani, Padua, by Nicolo Pizolo and Giovanni da Pisa, 1448-49, cast by Messrs Salviati, ca. 1869
Physical description
Plaster cast of the relief of the Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, Saint John the Baptist, James the Greater, Christopher and Anthony Abbot, after the terracotta original with traces of paint and gilding in the Ovetari Chapel in the church of the Eremitani, Padua.
Dimensions
  • Height: 142.5cm
  • Length: 244cm
Object history
Purchased from Messrs Salviati & Co in 1869 for £12 10s.
Historical context
This altarpiece was damaged when the Eremitani was bombed during the war, and is now better preserved in the cast than in the original. In 1443, Antonio Ovetari left 700 ducats in his will for the decoration of his chapel. This sum was divided equally between four painters: Giovanni d'Alemagna (d. 1450) working in partnership with Antonio Vivarini (active 1440, d. between 1476/84) and Nicolò Pizolo working with Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). An arbitration of 7 September, 1449 states that "master Nicolò alone is to make and complete, decorate and gild the altarpiece" together with a specified portion of the frescoes, making it clear that of the four painters, Nicolò alone was responsible for the execution of the altar. On 8 July 1448, Giovanni da Pisa paid £ 68 8s for work on the altarpiece. As Giovanni da Pisa was a sculptor, who, together with Nicolò Pizolo, had assisted Donatello (1386-1466) in the execution of the High altar for the Santo, it seems probably that he assisted in the production of the terracotta relief for the Ovetari altarpiece, while Nicolò Pizolo would have been responsible for its design together with the painted decoration and gilding.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a plaster cast after the terracotta original made by Nicolo Pizolo in about 1448-1449, in the church of the Eremitani, Padua. Casting was done by Giovanni da Pisa, about 1869, in Venice. This caster represents the Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, Saint John the Baptist, James the Greater, Christopher and Anthony Abbot.

This altarpiece was damaged when the Eremitani was bombed during the war, and is now better preserved in the cast than in the original. In 1443, Antonio Ovetari left 700 ducats in his will for the decoration of his chapel. This sum was divided equally between four painters: Giovanni d'Alemagna (d. 1450) working in partnership with Antonio Vivarini (active 1440, d. between 1476/84) and Nicolò Pizolo working with Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). An arbitration of 7 September, 1449 states that "master Nicolò alone is to make and complete, decorate and gild the altarpiece" together with a specified portion of the frescoes, making it clear that of the four painters, Nicolò alone was responsible for the execution of the altar. On 8 July 1448, Giovanni da Pisa paid £ 68 8s for work on the altarpiece. As Giovanni da Pisa was a sculptor, who, together with Nicolò Pizolo, had assisted Donatello (1386-1466) in the execution of the High altar for the Santo, it seems probably that he assisted in the production of the terracotta relief for the Ovetari altarpiece, while Nicolò Pizolo would have been responsible for its design together with the painted decoration and gilding.
Collection
Accession number
REPRO.1869-12

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Record createdJuly 14, 2000
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