FOREIGN COLLECTIONS

FILE : M.I.T. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] 1

TITLE : St. Eligius reconciles the king of Britain and french Envoy

LOCATION: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) Rotch Library

DIMENSIONS: 109 x 59, 5 cm

PROVENANCE: Originally the panel belonged to the St. Eligius window of the Milan Cathedral. Acquired by auction (1894) by Arthur Rotch . Gift by Mrs Horatio A. Lamb his sister


CRONOLOGY : before 1486

AUTHOR: Niccolò da Varallo (documented)

PATRONAGE: The Guild of Goldsmiths

SUBJECT/S : St. Eligius reconciles the king of Britain and French envoy. In the lower part the mutilated inscription “QAL B TS ELIG IT REGIE FRACIE … E BTANIE PACEM T C TAVIT”

CRITICAL NOTES: As the others episodes of the St. Eligius window, this scene reveals the narrative style peculiar to the Niccolò da Varallo. The artist offers a delicious portrait of the domestic life. About the style of Niccolò da Varallo see Milano Duomo 4.

CONDITION: In good condition; some heavy mending leads.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• C. PIRINA – F. RATTÉ Two Stained Glass Panels from Milan cathedral in the Rotch Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in “Journal of Glass Studies” vol. 31, 1989, pag. 55-64;

• M. H. CAVINESS Item Massachusetts Institut of Technology, Rotch Library in “Studies in the History of Art – Corpus Vitrearum Checklist I” vol. 15, 19 p. 58;

• C. PIRINA Antonio da Pandino magister vitriatarum in “Arte lombarda”, 2001-2002, 31 – 41.

For the general bibliography on Niccolò da Varallo see also Bibl. Duomo n. 5 and Bibl. Duomo n. 6

PHOTOGRAPHIC REF: M.H. Caviness archives

COMPILER: Caterina Pirina April 2006