Last Judgment (detail, four saints) by Cavallini, Pietro (c.1240-c.1320)
The Roman church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere was founded, it is believed, on a site associated with the early Christian martyr, the patron saint of music, Saint Cecilia. The church thus boasts a long history as a site of devotion in Rome. Successive re-building and re-structuring of the church’s earlier fabric included the addition of a new facade and interior during the eighteenth-century. These more recent features sometimes leave the twenty-first century visitor unprepared for the breathtaking thirteenth-century frescoes by Pietro Cavallini which were re-discovered in 1900. Little is known about this Roman artist. Scholars now recognise his enormous contribution to the development of late medieval art in Italy. This detail of four saints from Cavallini’s majestic Last Judgement reveals his innovative approach to the human figure. We must imagine two ranks one on either side of the central figure of Christ in Majesty. The Saints identified from the left (Matthew, Bartholomew, Philip, and James the Greater) comprise together with Andrew and Paul a group of six apostles seated on Christ’s right. The scene of the Last Judgement frescoed on the inside wall of the facade thus faced the onlooker as she exited the church. Our seated figures, who, apart from Saint Bartholomew, turn slightly in their thrones command the spectator’s gaze. Light seems to enter from the left, thus illuminating the saints so that their bodies appear to recede and project into space with convincing naturalism. Cavallini was one of the first painters to achieve such effects. These figures take on not only the appearance of living human beings, through gestures, and facial expression their powerful presence remind us of their status as living embodiments of the community of saints.
Art Guide Resource
The 2014 Art Guide has been compiled by Claire Renkin, well-known art historian and lecturer at Yarra Theological Union and has been recorded by Dr. Rachael Kohn, author and public speaker, most well known for her ABC Radio National program, 'The Spirit of Things'. Music by Chris Zabriskie (chriszabriskie.com). Artworks © Bridgeman Images.
Related Links
- VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Download the 2014 Art Guide (PDF) Resource
- Watch/Listen to the complete 2014 Art Guide
