Frame depicting the Annunciation, Baptism of Christ, Entry into Jerusalem, Saints Cecilia and Catherine of Alexandria, Trinity (Gnadenstuhl, Mercy Seat), and four Music-making Angels 1450 - 1460

Editor: This is a painting by Giovanni di Francesco del Cervelliera, dating from around 1450 to 1460. It's called "Frame depicting the Annunciation, Baptism of Christ..." – quite a mouthful! – and is made using tempera. It feels like several different stories interwoven within a single structure. How do you approach a piece so dense with narrative and form? Curator: Indeed, the visual organization is quite striking. We might consider first the geometric structure, how the artist divides space and orders our gaze. The arched top contains a circular 'Gnadenstuhl,' which is flanked by a linear arrangement of smaller narrative panels, bracketed by vertically-oriented saints. The composition relies on the repetition of rectangular forms to give structure to multiple episodes of Christ's life. Note how line and color define space, almost like an architectural blueprint; did you notice that? Editor: Yes, I see what you mean. It’s almost as though the frame is as important as the scenes depicted within. Is the materiality of the frame significant? Curator: Precisely. The very frame insists upon itself, dictating how we understand these biblical scenes. It forces us to examine not just the “what” of the painting but the “how”—the interplay of line, form, and the distribution of colour. Take the Baptism scene at the bottom. The repetition of colour - the red in the angels wings for instance - is so obviously a method to unify distinct pictorial registers. What is your assessment of Cervelliera’s ability in handling space? Editor: I think I focused so much on the individual scenes, that I missed how they relate compositionally! Seeing how you analyze the piece makes me realize how much the composition contributes to the experience of the whole artwork. Curator: This structured reading provides, perhaps, a deeper, if somewhat less emotional understanding. We learn about the very foundations that supports and constrains the scenes painted, as much as about the divine history represented in this period.