Scenes with St. Ambrose (detail) 1465

Benozzo Gozzoli painted this section of Scenes with St. Ambrose in the mid-15th century using fresco technique in the Sant'Agostino Church. The composition draws us into a world of muted colours and close observation of human figures. The work's formal qualities reflect the cultural codes of its time. Note how Gozzoli uses the semiotics of gesture and the book as signifiers of knowledge and authority. The figures are arranged to create a sense of depth, yet the focus remains on the surface, on the interplay of colours and textures that bring the scene to life. The artist destabilizes established meanings by embedding the sacred within the everyday, challenging viewers to reconsider their understanding of the divine. The painting’s appeal lies in its ability to engage us with complex ideas through form, and through an ongoing interpretation of faith, culture and representation.