The Calling of Sts James and John; The Preaching of St James (Scenes from the Life of St. James) by Andrea Mantegna

The Calling of Sts James and John; The Preaching of St James (Scenes from the Life of St. James) 1457

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painting, fresco

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portrait

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high-renaissance

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painting

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sculpture

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holy-places

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fresco

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group-portraits

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christianity

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history-painting

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italian-renaissance

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christ

Copyright: Public domain

Andrea Mantegna painted "The Calling of Sts James and John; The Preaching of St James" as part of a fresco cycle, sometime before the work was destroyed. Mantegna, a leading artist of the Italian Renaissance, was deeply influenced by classical antiquity, which shaped his approach to perspective, and his interest in civic humanism. Originally located in the chapel of the Ovetari family, the fresco depicted scenes from the life of St. James, and served as a testament to faith and a display of wealth. However, the destruction of the chapel during World War II imbues the remaining black and white photographs of the frescoes with a layer of historical complexity. We’re left with images of images, traces of a lost history, and a stark reminder of cultural fragility. Consider the ways in which religious narratives have historically been employed to shape identity and social order. In the fresco, Mantegna used the visual language of the church to speak to its community. Today, we might ask ourselves, who gets to tell these stories, and how do they shape our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world?

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