This panel and that of St. John the Baptist are fragments of a major altarpiece that belonged to the Carmelite church of San Niccolò del Carmine, Siena. The altarpiece functioned as a manifesto of the Carmelite Order, narrating its origin from the Old Testament prophet Elijah to his successor Elisha, to whom the Carmelites traced their heritage. Elisha and Saint John the Baptist originally flanked a central panel depicting the Madonna and Child enthroned with saints.
Lorenzetti presented both figures standing solidly within the clearly implied space of an architectural niche. Keenly observed details—the weathered skin and camel hair garment of the Baptist—impart vivid characterizations to these holy men. The artist’s sophisticated palette is evident in the striking use of red for the Baptist’s cloak and the myriad shades of white in Elisha’s cope. Full length, calm, and dignified, these figures form compelling and immediate images.
Details
- Artist Name: Pietro Lorenzetti (Italian, active c. 1306-c. 1348)
- Title: The Prophet Elisha
- Date: c. 1329
- Medium: Tempera and gold leaf on panel (one of a pair)
- Dimensions: 49 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (125.7 x 47 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1973.08.2.P
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
Jerome “Bonaparte” Wheat (1809-1895), Branford, Connecticut, by descent to;
Blanche Wheat Bauer (d. 1938, Wheat’s daughter), Branford, Connecticut, by descent ca. 1946 to;
Jocelyn Helen Bauer Baldwin (1909-1985, Wheat’s granddaughter), Branford, Connecticut; sold 24 March 1972 for $16,250 to;
[Newhouse Galleries, New York; stock no.18532A/B; in partnership with Bruno Meissner (4 May 1972; 2 share), Frederick Mont (August 1972; 1/4 share), and Piccolo; sold by Frederick Mont, Inc., New York, 5 March 1973 to;]
The Norton Simon Foundation.
Three Loans from the Norton Simon Foundation: First Public Exhibition
- Princeton University Art Museum, 1973-05 to 1973-05
- Maginnis, Hayden B. J., Art Bulletin, figs. 5-6 pp. 183-211
- Previtali, G., Fenway Court, n. 12 p. 42
- Christa Gardnery von Teuffel, Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz, Fig. 18 and 38 pp. 16-17
- Zeri, Frederico, Arte Illustrata, 1972, figs. 6,7 pp. 146-156
- Meiss, Millard, Three Loans from the Norton Simon Foundation: First Public Exhibition, 1973, figs. 2,3
- Van Os, Henk, Sienese Altarpieces 1215-1460, 1984, figs. 105-106 pp. 94-95
- Volpe, Carlo, Pietro Lorenzetti, 1989, nos. 105-106 pp. 41-42, 135, 139, 140, 149
- Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, 1989, p. 13
- Gilbert, Creighton, Christianity and the Renaissance, 1990, figs. 6.1, 6.2 pp. 166-168
- Italian Altarpieces 1250-1550: Function and Design, 1994, fig. 33 pp. 46, 48, 50
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 928B p. 352
- Renato Miracco, Italian Treasures in the U.S. An Itinerary of Art, 2014, p. #40
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