Lady Mary Catherine Charlotte Ashburnham

British, 1890 - 1953

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Two men with gray hair and beards stand under pointed arches with a winged angel in the triangular gable above, all against a gold background and set within a carved, gold frame in this vertical painting. This is the left wing of a three-panel triptych. The people all have pale skin with rosy cheeks, and the men’s faces are shaded with gray. Each man is set within his own pointed arch. Both of their bodies are angled very slightly to our right, toward the central panel, and they both wear long, voluminous robes. The man on the left gazes over our heads with dark eyes. His long, wavy gray hair frames his tan face, and tufts stick out the top and sides. His celery-green cloak is trimmed with gold, and it drapes over his blush-pink robe. He holds a wooden cross slightly taller than he is, tucked into his left elbow and leaning on that shoulder, to our right. In that hand, he holds a coiled, white rope. His other hand is held up by his waist but is covered with the green cloak. The man to our right looks in that direction. He is mostly bald with a fringe of curly hair over his ears. He wears a loose silvery-white robe and holds a bundle of rods in his right hand, resting on that shoulder. In his other hand, he holds an open book facing us so we can read the Latin text. Both men have halos carved into the gold background, and they stand on a floor patterned with gold and burgundy red. The outer columns of the panel have pairs of twisted shafts that support the gable, which has a circle carved into its center. In that roundel is an angel inside a four-lobed quatrefoil. Shown from the waist up, the angel has blond hair, a diadem, gold and crimson-red wings, and wears a shell-pink robe. Facing our right in profile, two fingers of the right hand are raised. Above the angel, a face is surrounded by blood-red wings, set within a shape that has three lobes alternating with three points. Barely discernable, the panel is inscribed across the bottom below the saints, “S. ANDREAS AP L U S; S. BENEDICTUS ABBAS.” The Latin text in the book reads, “AUSCU LTA.O FILI.PR ECEPTA .MAGIS RI.ET.IN CLINA.AUREM CORDIS.T UI A MONITIONE M.PII.PA TRIS.LI BENTE R.EXCIP E.ET.EF.”
Agnolo Gaddi, Saint Andrew and Saint Benedict with the Archangel Gabriel [left panel], shortly before 1387, tempera on poplar panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.4.a

Saint Andrew and Saint Benedict with the Archangel Gabriel [left panel]

Agnolo Gaddi · shortly before 1387 · tempera on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1937.1.4.a

A woman sitting on a throne supports a baby as twelve winged angels look on, all framed in a carved, gilded pointed arch in this vertical panel. It is the center of a three-panel triptych. The background behind all the people is gold, and the top of the panel comes to a rounded, pointed arch under a second taller, sharper point. Trios of spiraling columns frame the left and right sides. The woman, child, and angels all have pale skin tinged faintly with green, and rosy cheeks. They all have blond hair except for the woman, whose hair is covered, and all have plate-like gold halos that overlap, sometimes obscuring the bodies of others. The woman, Mary, faces us from her ivory-white, carved stone throne. She looks slightly above us with brown eyes under delicate brows. She has a small, straight nose, and her narrow pink lips are closed. The lapis-blue robe that covers her head and body is bordered with gold patterns, and has a starburst on her right shoulder, to our left. The pea-green underside of the mantle is visible where it turns over on the sleeves and down the front, and the robe is worn over an ivory-white dress patterned with gold. The child she holds with both hands, Jesus, stands on her lap and wraps one arm around her neck. His other hand grips the high neckline of her dress. He looks up with dark, close-set eyes. He has curly blond hair, a double chin, and rounded cheeks. Two tiny teeth are barely visible below his pink upper lip. Despite the rounded cheeks, his face looks more like that of an adult, and the proportions of his body are also adult-like. He wears a gold-trimmed, pale pink robe over a blue garment, which stops just short of his bare feet. The twelve angels surrounding the throne are grouped in trios, with three looking on to our upper left, three to our upper right, and then two trios gathered in each lower corner. Their wings and robes are painted in tones of celery green, ruby red, butter yellow, and pale rose pink. Each has a triangular diadem above their foreheads. The floor beneath is patterned with gold against a burgundy-red background. Above Mary and Jesus, a bearded man is shown from the chest up in a shape made of three lobes alternating with three points. That man faces us and holds up his right hand, to our left, with the first two fingers raised. He wears a shell-pink garment under a green robe, and holds up an open book with Latin text with his other hand. The frame around Mary, Jesus, and the gable above is carved and gilded. Barely discernable, the panel is inscribed across the bottom below the throne, “AVE MARIA GRATIA PNELA DOMINUS.” The pages of the books read, “EGO SUM A O PRINCI PIU FINIS EGO SUM VI A. VERITAS VITA.”
Agnolo Gaddi, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Twelve Angels, and with the Blessing Christ [middle panel], shortly before 1387, tempera on poplar panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.4.b

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Twelve Angels, and with the Blessing Christ [middle panel]

Agnolo Gaddi · shortly before 1387 · tempera on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1937.1.4.b

A man with deeply tanned skin and a woman with pale skin stand under pointed arches with a woman wearing blue in the triangular gable above, all against a gold background and set within a carved, gold frame in this vertical painting. This is the right wing of a three-panel triptych. The man on the left is mostly bald but has a fringe of tawny brown hair, a forked beard, and he wears a white robe. His body is angled slightly to our left. He looks down at a book held open in both hands. The cover is decorated with gold against a scarlet-red cover. The woman on the right faces us, looking at us with hazel eyes under thin brows. She wears a gold crown on her blond hair, which is gathered at the back of her neck. A pale pink mantle trimmed in gold wraps around her bronze and off-white brocaded gown which is visible at the neckline and hem. The edge of the mantle is turned back to reveal its goldenrod-yellow lining. She holds a green frond up in her right hand, to our left, and in the other hand holds a book with a forest-green cover embellished with gold. A wood wheel studded with short black spikes encircles her feet. Both saints have halos carved into the gold background, and they stand on a floor patterned with gold and burgundy red. The outer columns of the panel have pairs of twisted shafts that support the gable, which has a circle carved into its center. In that roundel is a woman and a dove inside a four-lobed quatrefoil. Shown from the waist up, the woman faces our left almost in profile. She has blond hair under the hood of her blue robe, and wears a rose-pink dress. Her hands are crossed over her chest, and she looks at a white dove flying next to her. Above the roundel, a face is surrounded by blood-red wings, set within a shape that has three lobes alternating with three points. Barely discernable, the panel is inscribed across the bottom below the saints, “S. BERNARDUS DOCTOR; S. K TERINA VIRGO.”
Agnolo Gaddi, Saint Bernard and Saint Catherine of Alexandria with the Virgin of the Annunciation [right panel], shortly before 1387, tempera on poplar panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.4.c

Saint Bernard and Saint Catherine of Alexandria with the Virgin of the Annunciation [right panel]

Agnolo Gaddi · shortly before 1387 · tempera on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1937.1.4.c

This altarpiece is made up of three panels, with a woman and baby sitting on a throne surrounded by winged angels at the center and flanked by a panel to either side that each shows two people standing under pointed arches. The background across all the panels is gold, and the top of each panel comes to a triangular point above. Spiraling columns frame and separate the sections. The people and angels have pale or deeply tanned skin, and wear robes in silvery-white, pale pink, celery green, crimson red, or pale yellow. They all have plate-like halos, which overlap for some of the angels around the throne. The floor across all three panels is patterned with gold against a burgundy-red background. The central panel shows a woman, Mary, wearing a lapis-blue robe, propping a standing baby up in her lap with both hands. The baby wraps one arm around her neck and grips the neckline of her dress with the other. The twelve angels around them look on from the sides or from small groups in the lower corners. Above the pointed arch over the throne, a bearded man is shown from the chest up in a shape of three lobes alternating with three points. That man faces us and holds up his right hand, to our left, with the first two fingers raised. He holds up an open book with Latin text with his other hand. In the panel to our left, two men with tan skin and gray hair and beards stand with their bodies angled toward the central panel. The man to our left holds a tall wooden cross and the man to our right holds up an open book with Latin text with one hand and a bundle of rods with the other. The gable above has a circle carved into its center. In that roundel is an angel inside a four-lobed quatrefoil, shown from the waist up facing our right. In the right panel, a man with tanned skin and a woman with pale skin stand under pointed arches. The man, to our left, holds and looks down at the pages of an open red book. To our right, the woman holds a palm frond in one hand and a closed green book in the other, and she stands in the circle of a wooden wheel lined with black spikes. The roundel above the pair shows a woman and a dove inside a four-lobed quatrefoil. Inscriptions appear with gold letters against a gold background across the bottom of each panel, so are difficult to make out. The panel to our left reads, “S. ANDREAS AP L U S; S. BENEDICTUS ABBAS.” Under the central panel, text reads, “AVE MARIA GRATIA PNELA DOMINUS.” The third panel reads, “S. BERNARDUS DOCTOR; S. K TERINA VIRGO.” Latin in the two books held outward is also legible. The book in the leftmost panel reads, “AUSCU LTA.O FILI.PR ECEPTA .MAGIS RI.ET.IN CLINA.AUREM CORDIS.T UI A MONITIONE M.PII.PA TRIS.LI BENTE R.EXCIP E.ET.EF.” In the central panel, the Latin inscription reads, “EGO SUM A O PRINCI PIU FINIS EGO SUM VI A. VERITAS VITA.”
Agnolo Gaddi, Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, and Catherine of Alexandria with Angels [entire triptych], shortly before 1387, tempera on poplar panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.4.a-c

Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, and Catherine of Alexandria with Angels [entire triptych]

Agnolo Gaddi · shortly before 1387 · tempera on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1937.1.4.a-c

Domenico di Bartolo, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saint Peter and Saint Paul, c. 1430, tempera (?) on panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1961.9.3

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Domenico di Bartolo · c. 1430 · tempera (?) on panel ·  Accession ID  1961.9.3

Shown from the thighs up, a woman holding a baby is surrounded by a man, woman, and two winged angels in this vertical painting. Mary, the central woman, the baby, Jesus, and the other woman, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, have pale, peach-toned skin. The man, Saint Jerome, and two angels have slightly darker peach-colored skin with faint gray shading. They all have gold halos, wide-set, hooded, light brown eyes, long, straight noses, delicate mouths, and pointed chins where we can see. Mary sits with her knees angled to our right, and she looks down at the baby held sitting upright near that shoulder. The crown of her head is covered by a white veil down to her forehead. A lapis-blue cloak drapes over the back of her head, her shoulders, and across her lap. There is a gold starburst on the right shoulder, to our left, and the cloak is edged in gold. The dress she wears is patterned ruby red on garnet red and decorated with shimmering, bright gold designs. She supports Jesus’s bottom with her left hand, to our right, and braces his chest with her other hand. He has small features with chubby cheeks, a high hairline with blond hair, and a chubby body. He grips the neckline of her dress with his right hand, to our left, and touches the hand that holds his chest with the other. He is nude except for a translucent white cloth around his chest and hips. To our left, Saint Jerome looks down at and writes in a book with a dark green cover using a feather quill. He is balding and has a long white beard. His forehead is lined, his cheeks hollow, and his lips parted. He wears a red robe over a white garment with a white collar. To our right, Saint Catherine looks at Jesus and holds a blue-covered book and black quill pen in one hand and a fragment of a wooden wheel lined with spikes with the other. Her blond hair is wrapped with and around a white cloth, and she wears a white-on-white patterned dress under a silver-gray cloak. One angel looks on from between Mary and the other looks up and to our right from behind Jesus. Both have their lips parted. The one to our right wears a pale pink garment and holds up one hand. The background is shiny, bright gold punched along the top and upper corners with a geometric design.
Matteo di Giovanni, Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Angels, c. 1465/1470, tempera on poplar panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.297

Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Angels

Matteo di Giovanni · c. 1465/1470 · tempera on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1939.1.297

Matteo di Giovanni, Madonna and Child with Angels and Cherubim, c. 1460/1465, tempera on poplar panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.9

Madonna and Child with Angels and Cherubim

Matteo di Giovanni · c. 1460/1465 · tempera on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1937.1.9