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The Medici judge, a bitter lawsuit, and an embezzlement: the Opera del Sacro Cingolo's bronze chapel screen at Santo Stefano, Prato
Author(s) -
Fujikawa Mayu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
renaissance studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.117
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1477-4658
pISSN - 0269-1213
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-4658.2012.00829.x
Subject(s) - chapel , battle , art , pride , glory , oath , visual arts , the renaissance , opera , bronze , art history , history , humanities , law , ancient history , political science , physics , optics
The chapel screen around the Cappella del Sacro Cingolo in Santo Stefano, Prato, was an important artistic project, since such a monumental bronze work necessitated a great quantity of costly material, not to mention the extensive amount of labour required for its casting. Maso di Bartolomero and other artists who worked on the screen are quite rightly credited for their artistic achievements, but in this paper, the Opera del Sacro Cingolo's crucial behind‐the‐scenes contributions are shown to be of equal significance. The Opera consisted of Pratese citizens who were dedicated to the embellishment of their chapel, which preserved the relic of the Virgin's girdle. The organization engaged the Medici as a judge for the finished product, was assiduously occupied in a court battle, procured bronze, which was not very easy during the Renaissance, and assisted the artists with their financial problems, among many other duties. This close management of the project, which involved a number of local citizens, was intended to express their communal identity and pride in possessing the girdle. For the Medici, assisting the corporate body's artistic project was an effective means to increase their influence in the town, which Florence had conquered in 1351.