Medieval English Alabaster Sculptures: Trade and Diffusion in the Italian Peninsula

Abstract

Nel 1382 Cosmato Gentili, legato pontificio in Inghilterra, otteneva una licenza per esportare a Roma tre sculture in alabastro, in partenza dal porto di Southampton. Si tratta della prima notizia documentaria che attesta il commercio e l’importazione di opere inglesi in alabastro in Italia. Sebbene rimangano poche attestazioni archivistiche, la diffusione di tali opere nella penisola è testimoniata dall’alto numero di esemplari superstiti, oltre 40, sparsi in varie regioni e soprattutto in corrispondenza delle zone costiere. L’articolo presenta una approfondita analisi di alcuni dei pezzi più rappresentativi e delle loro vicende storiche. Alcune sculture inedite sono qui pubblicate per la prima volta, mentre altre, poco conosciute, trovano in questa sede nuova attenzione. Inoltre, alcuni rilievi ora isolati vengono idealmente ricomposti con altri esemplari che con essi componevano, in origine, un’unica pala d’altare

Shedding light on the colours of medieval alabaster sculptures: Scientific analysis and digital reconstruction of their original polychromy

“…Abundant art historical investigations on English alabasters have been published in past years that discuss the classification of these sculptures in terms of period, origin, style, iconography and so forth. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] In contrast, very little analytical work has been published so far on the stone substrate and polychromy of English alabasters, 1,11,12 even if, in recent years, the study of polychrome remains using scientific methods has allowed a reassessment of many aspects of the manufacture of historic sculpture. [13][14][15] The existing literature on technical analysis of medieval alabasters is summarized below.…”

In search of the lost polychromy of English medieval alabaster panels in the Southwest of France

“…English alabaster has been a subject of research since the end of the 19th century. Most of the art historical scholarly works are focused on their iconography, surviving medieval written references, dating, their “industrial” or mass production, their commercialization and trade and their function as “objects of devotion.” Surprisingly, their polychromy does not make part of the fundamental aspects investigated. Although the polychromy of the panels is a fundamental element of their final appearance and therefore their perception, it has seldom been studied by art historians.…”