Massacre of the Innocents
(Medieval Europe )
In an attempt to thwart the prophecy about Christ's rise to power, King Herod orders his soldiers to kill all the male infants under the age of two living in Bethlehem. They do this with ruthless efficiency. Bartolo's color scheme uses naturalistic details to enhance the drama of the scene. Note the contrast between the rosy coloring of the infants who are still alive and the green pallor of those already dead. This painting, which is beautifully preserved, was part of a monumental altarpiece commissioned for the Church of San Agostino in San Gimignano and was placed atop a large painting of the Presentation in the Temple now in the Museé du Louvre, Paris. The Massacre of the Innocents might have been executed by both Bartolo and Andrea (active 1389-1428), working collaboratively as a father and son team.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Church of Sant'Agostino, San Gimignano; Malenotti Collection, San Gimignano [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Cardinal Feschi Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Viscount Bernard d'Hendecourt Collection, Paris, prior to 1914 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Demotte, Paris, 1917 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1917, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
2007-2008 | Déjà Vu? The Repeating Image in Renaissance and Baroque Art. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
1962 | The International Style: The Arts in Europe Around 1400. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
1/1/1911 | Technical Report | examined for technical study |
7/6/1944 | Treatment | other |
1/1/1945 | Treatment | stabilized; other |
10/3/1962 | Treatment | stabilized; coated |
4/9/1984 | Treatment | other |
4/11/1984 | Treatment | loss compensation |
1/14/1986 | Treatment | loss compensation |
11/3/1994 | Treatment | stabilized; loss compensation |
Geographies
Italy, San Gimignano (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 35 1/8 x W: 51 1/8 x D: 1 3/8 in. (89.2 x 129.8 x 3.5 cm); Visible painted surface H: 33 7/16 x W: 49 5/8 in. (85 x 126 cm); Panel H: 33 5/8 x W: 49 7/16 in. (85.4 x 125.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1917
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1018