LOCATION: Milan , Bagatti Valsecchi Museum

DIMENSIONS: 140 x 60 cms (128 x 53 without frame)

PROVENANCE: Like The Death of St. Martha included in the same collection (see Milan Bagatti Valsecchi Museum 1), it comes from S. Vincenzo church at Gera Lario, in the counterfaçade window on the right side of the entrance. As to what is reported by Monti (1899, 1902), that makes an explicit reference to the St. Martha, the two glasses of the church in Gera were "sold for a trifling amount". The illegal selling of the " two stained-glass windows of uncommon merit painted at the beginning of 1500 , closing the openings of the two windows in the façade " is confirmed on 7 March 1884 by the canonic Vincenzo Barelli, Inspector of the Excavations, that replies to an interpellation of the Como Prefect (archive of the "Giovio" museum in Como, Ispectorate, insert 1884/13; Geddo, 1998). The two glasses came to the Milanese palace of the brothers Bagatti Valsecchi that entrusted the "restoration" of the St. Stephen to Pompeo Bertini in 1885 (Pavoni, 1987. Enter Stato di fatto)

CHRONOLOGY: 1511

AUTHOR(S): Milanese master (Ambrogio da Velate? Based on a shhet by Bernardino Zenale?)

SUBJECT/S: St. Stephen

CRITICAL NOTES: Dated on the plate, bottom: "MDXI" (original). Inscription on the lunet (remade): "Sanctus Stephanus". Catalogued like "Lombard Art" by Toesca (1918), the St. Stephen is ascribed by Monneret de Villard (1923) to a master certainly lombard that however "hardly can be identified". Nava (1980), noting relationship with the sculptural environment in Como(Giovan Angelo del Maino)relates it to the St. Stephen in Stazzona (see Stazzona parish church 2) and makes an attempt ascribing both to Ambrogio da Velate. Natale (1980) recognizes its high quality and assumes the utilization of a cartone (sheet) by Bernardino Zenale. Giovanni Romano put that theory aside(1982) . Even recognizing a zenalian influence, he is more for resume the St. Stephen to the area of Como, relating it cautiosly to the frescoes at S. Antonio in Morbegno by Bernardino de Donati and Giovanni Ambrogio Ghezzi. The window has been recently aknowledged by the undersigned (Geddo, 1998) to a cultural environment typically milanese, getting back with more foundation the theory of an execution made by Ambrogio da Velate , without excuding a possible collaboration with Zenale at least for the idea. The style as well as the cultivated accent together with the highly formal level of the St. Stephen, space him out from the glass production in the territory, rather drawing it near the examples in Milan Duomo (from Niccolò da Varallo to Pietro da Velate). As for the drawing, the stereometry of the head, stressed from a lowered point of view, the plastic repoussage and the intensity of the face (Foppesque influence), refer with no doubt to Zenale but rather to the height of the Polyptic in Cantù in 1502 (worth is the comparison with the St. Stephen in Poldi Pezzoli: M. Natale, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Dipinti, Milano 1982, n. 22, fig. 139) than to the date on the window, as Romano noticed already. Any work has been linked to Ambrogio da Velate yet. That prevents from verifying the attribution. The little traceable news about him would describe him as the only Milanese "magister a vitreatis"; quite well known; working in Como at the turn of the century; that is the most reliable candidatefor the paternity of the Bagatti Valsecchi St. Stephen. Settled in Milan, Ambrogio works with Guglielmo della Porta and Felice Scotti for the executionof the St. Ambrose window at the Duomo in Como, in 1489-90 (Geddo, 1998, p. 164 and note 12). Still in 1489 the artist offer himself to make white or stained windowswith figures (S. Della Torre, La funzione, il tipo, la fabbrica, in S. Della Torre-L. Martinelli-m. Dubini, La storia, gli spazi, le funzioni. Il recupero dell’ex-ospedale Sant’anna in Como, Como 1988, p. 13) In 1491 and ’92 his presence at Milan Duomo for the delivery of glass and tin. Again in 1505 for two chapters of the destroyed window dedicated to St. Ambrose (U: Monneret de Villard, 1918, v I, p. 204, nn 476-477, 485; p. 205, n. 492; Annali della Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano dall’origine fino al presente, Milan 1880, v. III, p. 133)

Presented at the exhibition "Dal fulgore delle pagine miniate al colore-luce delle vetrate", Trivulziana, Ven. Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, C.V.M.A. Italy, Milan, 1988 Shown at the exhibition the (tesori delle Fondazioni artistiche italaine", Fondaione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo, Verona, 1990

CONDITIONS: in fair conditions, . Some grisaille fell (face), breaks resoldered (niche and dalmatic). Traces of repaintings (background, hands, face and parts of the draperies of the vests). As proved from the analysys of the glass and grisaille colour made in 1990 (Pavoni, 1990), theright hand of the saint, the lunette, parts of the exterior border and of the architectonical (in particular the central element of the window jamb at the top, two tesseras of the same one on the left and four on the right frame are XIX cent replacements.The assertion of Toesca (1918; "the lunette is modern") and Romano’s suspicions(1982)were confirmed by the document found by Rosanna Pavoni: a note of payment made to Pompeo Bertini dated 20 August 1885, for the restoration of a "little window representing St. Stephen adding 56 pieces of painted glass imitating the old and renovation of the mounting in lead with an iron rod as counterfort" (Archivio Fondazione Bagatti Valsecchi, faldone 145, cart. 64, insert "P. Bertini"; Pavoni, 1987 and 1990) the replacements provided also for adapting the window to one of the two openings made in the hall facinf Via S. Spirito, already projected in January 1884 (Ivi, insert "P. Bentaglio": 2 May 1885; Pavoni, 1987).

Conservative restoration: Milan, 1990, Ven. Fabbrica del Duomo, Diredt. Arch. E. Brivio.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Monti, 1899, p. 170; Monti, 1902, p. 236; Monneret de Villard, 1918, v. I, p. 136 notes; Toesca, 1918, p. 20, tav. XXIX; Monneret de Villard, 1923, v. IV, p. 89, pict. 122; Zecchinelli, 1951, p. 146; Nava, 1980, pp. 103-104, n. 18b (repr.); Rossi-Rovetta, 1988,pp39, 153 , pict. 62; Pavoni, 1990, pp. 36-37 (repr.); Geddo, 1998, pp. 165, 177-178 and note 98, fig. 18. Pavoni date?

PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS: Photos Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, Milan.

EDITOR: Cristina Geddo, (February 2000)