Madonna di Constantinopoli

Abstract

This extraordinary sculpture of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, known as the Madonna of Constantinople, flanked by scenes of the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary, is housed in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Alatri. Scholars date these painted wood sculptures to ca. 1200-1250. The smaller scenes are (top to bottom, left to right): the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Journey of the Magi, the Visitation, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Magi, the Presentation in the Temple, the Flight into Egypt, the Annunciation to the Magi, the Baptism, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Dormition (death) of the Virgin Mary. Both the smaller scenes and the Madonna and Child are carved out of wood, which has then been gessoed and painted, with the addition of gems (or paste-glass imitation gems) in the crowns of Mary and Jesus and the large medallion of Mary, which has a bare square recess in the centre that likely originally held a relic. The figures are richly ornamented with carved, painted, and gilded crowns, layers of complexly folded drapery with ornamental trim (perhaps detailed in the gesso rather than in the wood), and, for Mary, large earrings. This rich ornament, the rigidly frontal poses of the Madonna and Child, the physiognomies with their large eyes and long thin noses, and the title "Madonna di Costantinopoli" all evoke Byzantine icons, particularly images of the Nikopeia or Theotokos types, with Jesus sitting fully frontally on Mary's lap. Byzantine icons circulated in Italy throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and parts of Italy were culturally Greek. Some scholars have, however, pointed to similarities to Lombard and Northern European sculptures, in particular sculptures of Mary and Jesus in Notre Dame in Paris and at Chartres. Patrons, artists, and objects (especially portable icons and small sculptures, such as ivories) circulated in this period, making such connections possible. It is not clear when the work acquired the title "Madonna of Constantinople," whether this is the original title or one added later, possibly because of its dark appearance before modern restorations. This work is often compared to the Madonna di Acuto (now in the Museo di Palazzo Venezia in Rome) and the Madonna di Vulturella, as well as to the works of Benedetto Antelami. The entire work was covered with silver leaf in 1745, which later tarnished, giving the work a blackish appearance. This layer was removed in the restoration of 1940-1950. The work underwent technical examination in 2019-20 and a conservation campaign under the direction of Paola Refice 2021-3. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.