Altarpiece

Abstract

This splendid terracotta altarpiece in the Cappella di San Rocco in San Lorenzo Maggiore in Naples was originally fully polychromed and gilded, but only a few traces of the original paint remain as the whole work was re-painted and re-stuccoed over the centuries, later accretions that were removed in modern conservation campaigns. Most scholars agree that the altarpiece was sculpted by Domenico Napoletano, but there are disagreements as to the date. Some think that documents held in the church date the work to the late 15th Century, whereas others feel that it must date to after the assignment of the chapel to the Molignano family in 1503. Since the work is often compared to the now dismantled fragments of the altarpiece of the Lana, which dates to 1506, I think the latter date is more likely. St. Roche (pointing to the sore on his leg) and another saint flank the Madonna and Child with adoring angels. Above, the patrons of the work (presumably members of the Molignano family) adore the dead Christ, who is supported by another angel. Richly and inventively sculpted grotesques ornament the architectural frames, including masks, animals, putti, and candelabra. Flanking the relief with the dead Christ are what seem like giant grotesques: two large putti -- baby angels in this case-- battling dragons. Angels (genderless, bodiless beings) seem rather solid in this work, as the angel supporting the dead Christ seems to require an indentation in the ornamental ceiling to fit in the space, and the angels adoring the Madonna and Child below enter the space through doors and windows. But the angel's head framed by wings in the pediment at the apex of the altarpiece reads almost as grotesque ornament or a symbol rather than physical being. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License