Vitale da Bologna (documented in Bologna from 1330 – before 1361)
Saint Anthony Abbot and Saint James the Greater; Saint Peter (or Saint Clement Pope) Blessing a Pilgrim
painting on panel, transferred to new support structure; inv. P 73, P 74
provenance: Oratory of Sant’Apollonia di Mezzaratta, Bologna
acquisition: donated by Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, 1939
The earliest known reference to these two panels dates to the 17th century, when they were mentioned in the Oratory of Sant’Apollonia, near the Church of Santa Maria di Mezzaratta, halfway up the steep road to the hill of the Osservanza.
From the same church are the frescoes executed by Vitale and other Bolognese painters of the end of the 14th century, now on display at the Pinacoteca Nazionale.
These two paintings hung next to the Madonna dei denti a work signed by Vitale in 1345 and now held in the Davia Bargellini Museum.
Despite being completed during the same period, it is unlikely that these two panels and the Madonna were originally part of the same polyptych. Nonetheless, this item is one of Vitale’s most refined works, as evidenced by the subtle handling of the faces and the meticulous attention given to the precious metal decoration and gilded background (which has faded significantly with time).
Another noteworthy aspect of this work is the figure of the worshiper kneeling at an altar in one of the panels, the shell sewn on his cap is one of the typical attributes of pilgrims. This might be an allusion to the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and Rome during the Jubilee year 1350.
