St Bonaventura 1481 - 1502

Vittore Crivelli made this painting of Saint Bonaventure in the late 15th century using tempera on panel. Crivelli, from Venice, worked in the Marche, a region on the Adriatic coast, then controlled by the papacy. Paintings like this were important in shaping religious beliefs and devotional practices in the area. Note the highly decorative and expensive fabrics worn by the Saint, the crozier and the book he carries. What do these visual codes tell us about the Saint’s status in the church hierarchy? Bonaventure was a leading theologian and head of the Franciscan order. Crivelli’s work can be seen within a specific institutional context. Altarpieces and devotional images of this kind were commissioned by the Church and wealthy individuals. Archival research is essential to discover who paid for the image, and where it was originally displayed. The social history of the artwork would also help us understand the relationship between wealth, religious patronage, and artistic production in Renaissance Italy.