A blessing God the Father is depicted within this lunette with the alpha and omega: the beginning and end of things; while around him are the angelic hierarchies represented by concentric circles of cherubs and two angels kneeling before him.
Within the style of this work, it is easy to recognize the hand of Mariotto Albertinelli, during the time of his partnership with Fra Bartolomeo, which began in 1509 and ended in 1513.
The faces of the angels, especially the small angel that supports the great book, appear similar to the Trinity, painted by Mariotto around 1510 for the altar of the Church of San Guiliano in Florence, today in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. More stringent comparison can be easily observed in the large panel of the Annunciation with God the Father, again in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, signed and dated “1510 Mariocti Florenti Opus”. This is a work done by Albertinelli for the high altar of the Compagnia di San Zanobi, in the Canonica di Santa Maria del Fiori. The payments for such a work began in 1509 and continued until 1511, a date that goes further than that which is present in the panel’s signature. The little angel at the foot of the Eternal Father has a picture of the face with is almost similar to that in this panel, as well as angels playing the lute or the two pairs at the landing of the bezel in the large altarpiece have styles that appear almost identical in two angels who have their hands to their chests. The curved profile of the face, slanted bright eyes, an open mouth are all characteristic of the artist; in addition the hair divided into acuminate sections or the arching of vitreous drapery from powerful shadows are all formal elements found in other works by Mariotto, further exhibiting that he had absorbed the monumental figures of Fra Bartolomeo. Another evident trait is the call for a tonal awareness and shading, which appears in the paintings executed during the years of collaboration between the two painters. An even more stringent help with the dating of this bezel, and its relationship with the work of Fra Bartolomeo, appears from a comparison with the great panels of the Museum of Villa Guinigi in Lucca dated 1509, with The Eternal Father between Saints Mary Magdalene and Saint Catherine. In this panel, the design of the God the Father, with the book of the alpha and omega on his knee and his right arm raised in blessing, is the direct model. Mariotto Albertinelli, in fact, reuses the figure of Fra Bartolomeo, maintaining the austere expression of the face, added with a shadow of willing dramatic lowered eyes. As is characteristic of Mariotto, there are pressed creases and angular aspects of the red cloak shattered into the far corners of the quiet monumental Lucca model. Instead, the general structure remains with the Blessing figure, but He does not open up three fingers but fold the index finger. If the attribution to Mariotto Albertinelli of this bezel holds no problems of any kind, as well as its date around 1510 - 1512; however, it remains to find
A blessing God the Father is depicted within this lunette with the alpha and omega: the beginning and end of things; while around him are the angelic hierarchies represented by concentric circles of cherubs and two angels kneeling before him.
Within the style of this work, it is easy to recognize the hand of Mariotto Albertinelli, during the time of his partnership with Fra Bartolomeo, which began in 1509 and ended in 1513.
The faces of the angels, especially the small angel that supports the great book, appear similar to the Trinity, painted by Mariotto around 1510 for the altar of the Church of San Guiliano in Florence, today in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. More stringent comparison can be easily observed in the large panel of the Annunciation with God the Father, again in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, signed and dated “1510 Mariocti Florenti Opus”. This is a work done by Albertinelli for the high altar of the Compagnia di San Zanobi, in the Canonica di Santa Maria del Fiori. The payments for such a work began in 1509 and continued until 1511, a date that goes further than that which is present in the panel’s signature. The little angel at the foot of the Eternal Father has a picture of the face with is almost similar to that in this panel, as well as angels playing the lute or the two pairs at the landing of the bezel in the large altarpiece have styles that appear almost identical in two angels who have their hands to their chests. The curved profile of the face, slanted bright eyes, an open mouth are all characteristic of the artist; in addition the hair divided into acuminate sections or the arching of vitreous drapery from powerful shadows are all formal elements found in other works by Mariotto, further exhibiting that he had absorbed the monumental figures of Fra Bartolomeo. Another evident trait is the call for a tonal awareness and shading, which appears in the paintings executed during the years of collaboration between the two painters. An even more stringent help with the dating of this bezel, and its relationship with the work of Fra Bartolomeo, appears from a comparison with the great panels of the Museum of Villa Guinigi in Lucca dated 1509, with The Eternal Father between Saints Mary Magdalene and Saint Catherine. In this panel, the design of the God the Father, with the book of the alpha and omega on his knee and his right arm raised in blessing, is the direct model. Mariotto Albertinelli, in fact, reuses the figure of Fra Bartolomeo, maintaining the austere expression of the face, added with a shadow of willing dramatic lowered eyes. As is characteristic of Mariotto, there are pressed creases and angular aspects of the red cloak shattered into the far corners of the quiet monumental Lucca model. Instead, the general structure remains with the Blessing figure, but He does not open up three fingers but fold the index finger. If the attribution to Mariotto Albertinelli of this bezel holds no problems of any kind, as well as its date around 1510 - 1512; however, it remains to findthe altarpiece over which it was to be crowned, which could be joined in solidarity (but this bezel shows no signs of recent base shear), or a frame. An example of a bezel made by Albertinelli is an altarpiece by Fra Bartolomeo is the large table of the Besançon Cathedral commissioned by Ferry Carondelet, and paid to the two painters between 1511 and 1513. The bezel of Mariotto, now fragmented due to damage suffered in 1729 due to the collapse of the church, is located in Stuttgart, and is an example of how to proceed sometimes the separation of tasks between the two artists during their collaboration, and an invitation to look for a link dimensional altarpieces survivors of Albertinelli, or even Fra Bartolomeo, dating back to the years of when the partnership was dissolved in 1513. A panel that stylistically could be approached in this bezel is the Madonna Enthroned with Saints Julian, Dominic, Nicholas and Jerome in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. The painting is mentioned by Vasari and was used by the nuns of San Giuliano in Firenze, is usually dated to 1510 and has stylistic elements entirely consistent with this bezel: just compare the cherubs at the top of the sky, holding open the curtain canopy behind Mary. However, even if the style is consistent measures of the two tables do not seem compatible, as the table Florentine 223 x 204 cm while this bezel measuring just 180 cm. base. Even supposing a frame capable of absorbing a dimensional discrepancy the gap of 20 cm. remains too high.
Among the works performed during the partnership between Albertinelli and Fra Bartolomeo, there is a panel with measurements which appear to be consistent with those of this bezel. This is the half-destroyed altarpiece of the Madonna and Child Enthroned, St. Peter and Paul, in the church of Santa Caterina di Pisa, paid Fra Bartolomeo and Albertinelli in 1511. The panel measures 200 x 180 cm., and is credited in the book San Marco both painters "from our painter Fra Bartolomeo and Mariotto his partner to say on October 3, seven large gold florins in gold for them by Mariotto, for the de tirty ducats had to Pisa for the table ... Michele Mastiani" [“da Fra Bartolomeo nostro dipintore e Mariotto suo compagno a dì 3 ottobre, fiorini siete larghi d’oro in oro, per loro da Mariotto, per parte de ducati trenta ebbe da Pisa per la tavola di … Michele Mastiani”]. The work is also inventoried in 1516 among those performed by both artists during the partnership, even if none of the two memories is reminiscent of a bezel crown. However, if the payment involves two artists the table of Pisa, though badly damaged by fire in 1615 and now re-inserted into an altar built after that date, it seems only consistent with the style of Fra Bartolomeo, but it coincides perfectly with this bezel also from the thematic point of view: if, therefore, the two works were combined, as in the case of the blade of Besançon, the payment would be explained to both painters. Also from the iconographic point of view would be the act of the Father reflected in that of the Son blessing a boy on his mother's lap. The connection to the altar of Pisa is still impressive and only hypothetical until finding some documentary evidence; Mariotto Albertinelli is entirely sure, at a date between 1510 and 1512, at the time of association with the monk of San Marco.