Francesco da Rimini, 'The Vision of the Blessed Clare of Rimini', probably about 1333-40
About the work
Overview
This painting shows Clare, a holy woman who lived in Rimini from the late thirteenth to early fourteenth centuries. According to her biography she had a vision of Christ enthroned and surrounded by the apostles and John the Baptist. Christ – the largest figure in this scene – showed her the wound on his side where he was pierced by a spear at his crucifixion. Saint John the Evangelist – shown here in pink robes – gave her a book inscribed with Christ’s words recorded in the Gospel of John: ‘My peace I give you my peace I leave you’ (John 14: 27).
An almost identical picture (now in the Musée Fesch, Ajaccio, Corsica) is part of an altarpiece that includes two other panels. It was made for the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rimini where Clare founded a convent. Our picture was probably also part of an altarpiece and made for the same church.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Vision of the Blessed Clare of Rimini
- Artist
- Francesco da Rimini
- Artist dates
- documented 1333; died 1348
- Date made
- probably about 1333-40
- Medium and support
- egg tempera, originally on wood, transferred to wood
- Dimensions
- 55 × 60 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1985
- Inventory number
- NG6503
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 20th-century Replica Frame
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Dillian Gordon, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Italian Paintings before 1400’, London 2011; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2017Giovanni da Rimini: A 14th-century Masterpiece UnveiledThe National Gallery (London)14 June 2017 - 8 October 2017
Bibliography
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1755G. Garampi, Memorie ecclesiastiche appartenenti all'istoria e al culto della B. Chiara di Rimini, Rome 1755
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1924C. Ricci, Il Tempio malatestiano, Milan 1924
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1950F. Zeri, 'The Triptychs of the Beata Chiara of Rimini', The Burlington Magazine, XCII/570, 1950, pp. 247-51
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1956M. Laclotte, De Giotto à Bellini, Paris 1956
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1965C. Volpe, La pittura riminese del Trecento, Milan 1965
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1966F.R. Shapley, Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, vol. 1, Italian Schools XIII-XV Century, London 1966
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1978G. Kaftal, Iconography of the Saints in the Paintings of North East Italy, Florence 1978
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1986D. Gordon, 'The Vision of the Blessed Clare of Rimini', Apollo, CXXIV/295, 1986, pp. 150-3
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1987S. Thiébaut, Ajaccio, Musée Fesch: Les primitifs italiens, Inventaire des collections publiques françaises 32, Paris 1987
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1988Gordon, Dillian, National Gallery Catalogues: The Early Italian Schools before 1400, revised edn, London 1988
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1988National Gallery, The National Gallery Report: January 1985 - December 1987, London 1988
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1993A. Marchi, 'Antologia di artisti: Un "crocifisso" riminese inedito', Paragone, XLIV/515-517, 1993, pp. 82-7
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1994J. Dalarun, Lapsus Linguae: La légende de Claire de Rimini, Spoleto 1994
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1994P.G. Pasini, Il crocifisso dell'Agina: E la pittura riminese del Trecento in Valconca, Milan 1994
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1994A. Thomas, An Illustrated Dictionary of Narrative Painting, London 1994
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1995D. Benati, Il Trecento Riminese: Maestri e botteghe tra Romagna e Marche (exh. cat. Museo della Città, 20 August 1995 - 7 January 1996), Milan 1995
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2011Gordon, Dillian, National Gallery Catalogues: The Italian Paintings before 1400, London 2011
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.