Naslov
An Unknown Document Concerning Vittore Carpaccio and the Polyptych for Zadar Cathedral

Autori
Hilje, Emil

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
Vittore Carpaccio:Contesto, iconografia, fortuna

Mjesto i datum
Venecija, Italija, 14.06.2023. - 15.06.2023

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
Vittore Carpaccio, Martin Mladošić, Zadar, archives, painting, 15th century

Sažetak
The polyptych for the altar of St. Martin in the Zadar Cathedral, commissioned from Vittore Carpaccio by Canon Martin Mladošić, is one of those works from the painter's oeuvre whose chronology is still not agreed. Various authors dated the Zadar polyptych to almost the entire range of the painter's activities, from those who considered it a youthful work, to those who considered it a late work, created at the very end of his career. The document that was recently found in the Zadar archive sheds a completely new light on the issue of dating the polyptych, excluding all dating in the early years of Carpacci's work, but at the same time exposes the conditions and circumstances of the commission and creation of the work. Namely, on September 12, 1497, in Zadar, Martin Mladošić appointed two representatives, who were supposed to demand from the painter Viktor Scarpation (Vittore Carpaccio) in Venice to complete the work on the altarpiece for the altar of St. Martin in the cathedral of St. Stošija in Zadar, in accordance with the contract he had previously concluded with the client. At the same time, it was stated that, if the painter does not do this, they should take over from him the frame carved in Zadar and order the painting from other masters at his expense. But, if he completes and submits the work, they should cancel the previously concluded contract. Considering Carpaccio's signature on the painting, it is obvious that the latter was ultimately achieved. And in the light of the fact that the client and the painter met in person, it can be assumed that the depiction of the donor in the painting is indeed a realistic portrait of a prominent Zadar canon. In combination with the previously known information from Mladošić's will, dated April 21st of 1496, which referred to the making of the frame, it can be established that the polyptych was ordered in 1496, and that the painting lasted until the end of 1497 or the beginning of 1498. Dated in this way, the Zadar polyptych can be precisely placed in the time between the two great Carpaccio's cycles, that is, after the completion of the Cycle of St. Ursula, and before starting work on the cycle at the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni. The life of Martin Mladošić himself, in addition to his own notebooks, is witnessed by numerous archival documents, from which it is possible to partially reconstruct his biography, especially his career progression and position within Zadar's church circles, where he stood out as one of the most important and influential members of the chapter choir and, despite certain disagreements between the chapter and the archbishop, still the closest associate and confidant of archbishop Maffeo Vallaresso. After Vallaresso's death, at the time of the vacant episcopal seat, it seems that he was the head of the Zadar church hierarchy, and he retained a key role during the episcopate of Giovanni Robobello. The rise of his ecclesiastical career was accompanied by material well-being, a luxurious house in the city and extensive land holdings. So, investing in his own altar in the cathedral was a logical reflection of Mladošić's well-being and position. Also, we can assume that Mladošić, satisfied with Carpaccio's work, and still connected with the Vallaresso family, played a certain role in his engagement for the work in Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
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