The Exceptional Role of St. Joseph in Ugolino di Prete Ilario’s Life of the Virgin at Orvieto
Sara Nair James
Between 1370 and 1384 Ugolino di Prete Ilario, a local artist, honored the long-standing Marian devotion in Orvieto by painting cathedral tribune one of most comprehensive monumental narratives ever created life Virgin. In sixteenth century Giorgio Vasari, attributing murals to Ambrogio Lorenzetti, praised them for their composition, invention, handling historical scenes, but modern scholars have paid little notice. Comparisons with other Christological programs before 1350, however, especially Lorenzo Maitani’s reliefs on facade, support Vasari’s acclaim. Because large size tribune, several episodes seldom seen outside illuminated manuscripts appear, whereas other, customary scenes either are omitted or contain something exceptional. Some these variants depend textual sources, which extend beyond usual canonical, noncanonical, legendary texts include devotional manuals, writings St. Bernard Clairvaux Bridget, cycle liturgical dramas. Most remarkably, frescoes convey both substantial reverence Joseph decades his cult gained widespread acceptance precocious devotion. Joseph, officially declared patron saint only seventeenth century, not participates traditional that usually omit marginalize him is present each uncommon where he vital story. The rare scene workshop subtly discloses Joseph’s divinely ordained role as paterfamilias, “artisan soul,” counterpart of, collaborator with, heavenly father.
Gesta