Antonello da Messina, San Cassiano Altarpiece
1475-76Paintings sorted by   Historical period  |   Painter  |  Subject matter  |  Pigments used
St. Nicholas’ jewel
Natural ultramarine and lead white
Virgin’s cloak
Natural ultramarine and lead white
Blue on St. Nicholas’ cope
Natural ultramarine and lead white
St. Lucy’s green cloak
Lead-tin yellow, verdigris, and lead white
Green drape
Lead-tin yellow, verdigris, ochre, and lead white
Virgin’s yellow dress
Yellow ochre, lead white, lead-based yellow
Red pillow
Vermilion, ochre, lead white, and red lake (carmine – cochineal or kermes)
Red figure on St. Nicholas’ cope
Ochre, vermilion, lead white, and red lake
St. Dominic’s red book cover
Ochre, vermilion, red lake, lead white
Child’s red band
Ochre, vermilion, red lake, lead white
Virgin’s lips
Red lake (carmine – cochineal or kermes), lead white
St. Lucy’s hair
Brown ochre, lead-tin yellow, vermilion, lead white
Brown-yellow throne
Ochre, lead-tin yellow, lead white
St. Nicholas’ face
Ochre, vermilion, lead white
St. Lucy’ face
Ochre, vermilion, lead white
Child’ body
Ochre, vermilion, lead white
St. Dominic’ white robe
Lead white
St. Dominic’ black cloak
Black pigment, ochre, lead white
Grey-violet cloth of honor
Natural ultramarine, red lake (carmine – cochineal or kermes), lead white
Pigment analysis: Hover the mouse over the white points to learn about the pigments used at this spot.
Overview
Medium: oil
Support: poplar panel
Central panel: 115 × 65 cm
left panel: 55.9 × 35 cm
right panel: 56.8 × 35.6 cm
Art period: Renaissance
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
Inventory no. 7727
The altar was commissioned for the church of San Cassiano in Venice, it was disassembled in the early 17th century and the reunited central portion is now housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The pigment analysis is based on the following publication:
Gianluca Poldi, Antonello da Messina between Sicily and Venice: the San Cassiano altarpiece. Technical examinations and comparisons, Technologische Studien: Konservierung, Restaurierung, Forschung, Technologie / Kunsthistorisches Museum, 6, 2009.
Overview
Medium: oil
Support: poplar panel
Central panel: 115 × 65 cm
left panel: 55.9 × 35 cm
right panel: 56.8 × 35.6 cm
Art period: Renaissance
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
Inventory no. 7727
The altar was commissioned for the church of San Cassiano in Venice, it was disassembled in the early 17th century and the reunited central portion is now housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The pigment analysis is based on the following publication:
Gianluca Poldi, Antonello da Messina between Sicily and Venice: the San Cassiano altarpiece. Technical examinations and comparisons, Technologische Studien: Konservierung, Restaurierung, Forschung, Technologie / Kunsthistorisches Museum, 6, 2009.
Pigment analysis
Pigments used in this painting
Resources
Videos
Video: 'Antonello da Messina (1430-1479) A collection of paintings' by By Master Painters
Video: 'Sgarbi spiega Antonello da Messina' by studio by studio del bianco
Publications and Websites
Publications
Gianluca Poldi, Antonello da Messina between Sicily and Venice: the San Cassiano altarpiece. Technical examinations and comparisons, Technologische Studien: Konservierung, Restaurierung, Forschung, Technologie / Kunsthistorisches Museum, 6, 2009.
G. Poldi, With or without Flanders: how Antonello da Messina painted, in Antonello da Messina, edited by C. Cardona and G. C.F. Villa, catalogue of the exhibition (Milan, Palazzo Reale, February 21st – June 2nd, 2019), Skira, Milan 2019, pp. 295-301.
James, Sara Nair, Antonello Da Messina: Sicily’s Renaissance Master. The Sixteenth Century Journal 39, no. 3 (2008): 935–36. doi:10.2307/20479124.
Websites
Cavallini to Veronese, A guide to the works of the major Italian Renaissance Painters: Antonello da Messina
The Met, Antonello da Messina
