Artwork
san tommaso d'aquino aiutato dai santi pietro e paolo
san tommaso d'aquino aiutato dai santi pietro e paolo is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Bartolomeo degli Erri. It dates from 1465 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1465 by Bartolomeo degli Erri, an Italian painter working in the Gothic tradition of the early Renaissance, this panel presents a devotional scene typical of the Quattrocento in Modena. The composition is divided by an arched opening that links two interior spaces, each populated by figures engaged with books and manuscripts.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is Saint Thomas Aquinas, shown reading an open volume, while the saints Peter and Paul appear as his supporters, positioned on either side of the arch. Their presence underscores Aquinas’s role as a theological scholar, with the surrounding scholars and the abundance of books reinforcing themes of learning and ecclesiastical authority.
Technique & Style
Erri employs a restrained palette of warm pink walls and dark garments accented with gold, allowing the soft modelling of forms through subtle chiaroscuro. The gentle shadows give the figures a modest three‑dimensionality, while the worn surface of the paint hints at the work’s age and the passage of time.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. It reflects the collaborative workshop practice of Bartolomeo and his brothers, who fulfilled numerous religious commissions in the mid‑15th‑century Modena region, often producing altarpieces and narrative saint cycles.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomeo degli Erri (1447–1482) was an Italian Gothic painter of the Italian Renaissance.
