1443 - ANTONIO DA MONTEREGALE

ANTONIO DA MONTEREGALE (detail of) Saint Anthony the Abbot Tempera and oil on panel with gold ground, 93.5 x 35.5 cm This lot has been declared to be of historical and artistic interest and is subject to a notification requirement. The saint is depicted with a realistic sense of bodily weight. The heavy robes fall along the figure, creating drapery with vertical folds that are slightly animated near the ground—the latter rendered with a boundary line that helps define a space with perspectival depth. Although concealed by the long robe, the saint’s feet appear to rest firmly on the ground, lending the figure a sense of stability and tangibility. Particular attention is paid to the rendering of light and shadow, which together emphasize the figure’s physical presence. Evidence of this is the shadow cast on the ground to the saint’s left, which helps to realistically anchor his presence in the space. Finally, the entire figure is enhanced by a skillful chromatic composition, playing on shades of brown, red, and black, harmoniously balanced with one another.