Regions: Florence and Siena (1 of 2)

Pacino di Bonaguida (1302–c. 1340) became the dominant force in Florentine manuscript illumination beginning in the 1320s and is also known as a painter of altarpieces. The Ascension of Christ is from a laudario, a hymnal commissioned by the Confraternity of Sant’Agnese, a prominent organization of devout laymen. The miniature shows Christ’s last appearance on earth after the Resurrection, when he ascends into Heaven. The presence of Christ is emphasized by the mandorla that surrounds him and by his isolation in the center of the composition. The work has the impact of a small panel painting, as does another miniature depicting Christ in Majesty with Twelve Apostles, which was presumably painted for the same set of choir books as The Ascension of Christ. Toward the end of his career Pacino collaborated with the Master of the Dominican Effigies (active c. 1328–1350), whose miniatures for this set of choirbooks include Christ and the Virgin Enthroned with Forty Saints and The Nativity with the Annunciation to the Shepherds.

Regions: Florence and Siena (2 of 2) Regions: Bologna (2 of 2)