On display in Senigallia until Dec. 31 are the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine by Innocent of Imola

The exhibition The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine continues in Senigallia, at Palazzo Mastai - Casa Museo Pio IX, dedicated to the restoration of the precious Renaissance panel attributable to Innocenzo da Imola (Innocenzo Francucci, Imola, c. 1490 - Bologna, c. 1543).

Restored by theMarche Restoration Institute at theAcademy of Fine Arts in Macerata, under the direction of the Superintendency, this important early 16th-century panel, attributable to Innocenzo Francucci known as Innocenzo da Imola, depicts one of the most fascinating themes tackled by painters of the time: The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine. The composed elegance of the work, as well as the sweetness and extreme depiction skills, particularly of the splendid faces, has led scholars to place it among the works created in the flourishing workshop of the Emilian artist around the 1630s. After his first experience in his father’s goldsmith’s workshop, Innocenzo da Imola went to Bologna in 1508, where he was introduced to the art of painting by joining Francesco Francia’s workshop. In 1510, as Vasari testifies, he moved to Florence where he worked under Mariotto Albertinelli. The initial classicism inherited from Francia was thus strengthened during his Florentine sojourn and matured with his knowledge of Raphael’s works: the result was an enhancement of the compositional layout and a mastery in the rendering of the figures, of which this painting, firmly set in volumetric evidence, and character features of rare beauty give us evidence.

The artist succeeds in perfectly blending Bolognese recollections with Florentine influences, achieving such artistic maturity as to infuse the composition with a sense of intense stylistic harmony, such that the eye cannot be averted. This skill is revealed especially in the expressive power of the portraits of all the characters, executed with extreme purity, sweetness and even attention to detail. The gesture of the Child Jesus delicately placing the ring on the finger of the martyr Catherine of Alexandria, with a grace that inspires an immediate feeling of affectionate devotion. In the Palazzo Mastai painting, an austere St. Joseph, with a detached gaze, and a St. John who, on the other hand, appears very much involved in the event, acting as an intermediary between us viewers and the Sacred Scene, complete the scene. A very enigmatic table, the one in the museum house in Senigallia, where the characters could perhaps allude to the first Mastai who came to the Misena city.

The exhibition will remain open until December 31, 2018. It is free admission and for all information you can visit the website of the Diocese of Senigallia.

On display in Senigallia until Dec. 31 are the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine by Innocent of Imola

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