The Altar Of The Eucharist. The death of the heretic on the bonfire (Burning of the heretic)

Unfortunately, "The Altar Of The Eucharist" - work Cassette, which refers to the first professional triumph of a young artist - to this day have not survived: in 1777, this altar was dismantled, the different parts went to different museums, and the Central picture was irretrievably lost. But the evidence of authorship remains - what would we do without accounting documents! The order for this work Sassetta received in 1423 from the Guild of merchants coat of the "Arte della Lana", who wanted to decorate their chapel in the Church of San Pellegrino in Siena. According to old descriptions, lost Central painting was symbolically depicted the Holy sacrament of the Eucharist in the form of drenovci for communion, surrounded by angels. The altar, itself, was arranged traditionally consisted of a variety of paintings on wooden boards. And, as in the paintings, can see the monks of the Carmelite fathers, it is safe to say that the iconographic program of the altar was designed by the monks of the order. To have survived of the picture and we can judge the artist.

"The Altar Of The Eucharist. The burning of the heretic" (1423-36) is one of these surviving fragments. Unfamiliar with the term, Sassetta conveys the depth of space, playing the size of the figures. Some distortion of proportions, which sees the modern man, familiar with the term, does not prevent us, the audience to evaluate the achieved artist tension, expressiveness, expressivity of the action. The center of the composition, interestingly, is not a heretic, with horror and disbelief, gazing down at the heavens, bent in the usual position of rural labor, the farmer, judging by the beaming color of the robes, a righteous man, carefully combing the fire. Perspective in this work is achieved through a linear rhythm which is formed by numerous figures. The duality of sinner and the righteous is the Central composition is framed on the right, the figure of the enlightened Ministers, to the left, and unexpectedly witty, waving his tail is quite realistic horse's ass. Most likely, if you read the signs of the art of this period, we are talking about a different duality of the sublime and the mundane.


Author: Inga Esterkin