THE GREAT ROMAN SCHOOL

During the thirteenth century the Roman painting had acquired its own unique physiognomy.

It is interesting to note that these aspects have been discovered, or rediscovered, in very recent times; in 1995 the large frescoes of the Gothic hall, at the Four Crowned Saints, these frescoes  decorated the 750 square meters of the walls, of which, thanks the restoration are brought to light 350.

The Last Judgement - click to enlarge

As well as in relatively recent times have been restored the frescoes of the Master of San Saba in the homonymous church.

The frescoes in the lower church of San Clemente, thanks to the tireless father Mullooly, were rekindled in 1865 and the complex restorations are still ongoing.
The extraordinary Last Judgement, a masterpiece by Pietro Cavallini, was rediscovered, under eighteenth-century paintings, in early 1900 and also in this case the delicate restoration was completed a few years ago.

In short, the Roman medieval painting has been rediscovered only recently and today is enjoyed only by the narrow circle of specialists.

Therefore pointed out the originality of Roman painting, since the dawn of the thirteenth century, over the years emerged the great Roman masters: Pietro Cavallini, Jacopo Torriti and Filippo Rusuti.

The founder was Pietro Cavallini, who presumably was born around 1240 in Rome and in Rome died shortly after 1330, therefore, was a contemporary of Cimabue and about 25 years older than Giotto.
In life, he had great fame, the famous  Ghiberti described him as "the most erudited".

The criticism has been uncertain for many years to express an opinion on his originality, perhaps misled by the Florentine Vasari who qualified him as a pupil of Giotto, quite impossible because of age. More interesting would be the relationship with Cimabue, however, analyzing the survived works of Cavallini, we find that his path refers to classical and realistic paintings of the ancient Romans.

Cavallini realized both mosaics and frescoes.
The fresco by imposing fewer constraints gives the artist more freedom of expression.

Extraordinary is the Last Judgement at Santa Cecilia.
In Santa Maria in Aracoeli Cavallini painted the apse which unfortunately Pope Pio IV demolished and with it much of the works of Pietro has been lost, survived the fresco above the tomb of Matteo d'Acquasparta and for stylistic reasons are attributed to Cavallini also some other fragmentary frescoes, surviving in the right nave.

Fragmentary frescoes attributed to Pietro Cavallini - click to enlarge

In San Giorgio al Velabro we can see the fresco of the apse, perhaps for reasons related to moisture, coarsely restored.

In Santa Maria in Trastevere we can see the realistic mosaics depicting Stories from the life of Mary; these famous works overcome the Byzantine style, opening the way to the Roman style.

To Cavallini is also attributed the mosaic that runs along the front of the church, not easily visible, because of the distance; but if the faces, the clothes, the beautiful coloring are carefully observed, you will discover the sublimely creative and the unique technique that was attended by the artist.

In the apse of San Crisogono was placed a mosaic panel attributed to Pietro, whose surface is flat and not concave like the apse, then it is deduced that comes from an unknown origin.

After being in Naples at the court of Charles I of Anjou (where he painted the magnificent Crucifixion in the chapel Brancaccio at San Domenico Maggiore), back to Rome, his last Roman works, were cycle of mosaics for St. Paul Outside the Walls started after 1325 and closed shortly after 1330.

Because of the catastrophic fire of 1823, which devoured the basilica, only the apse and the cloister survived, so in the triumphal arch of the apse one can see a small part of the mosaics of Pietro Cavallini.

The mosaics in the triumphal arch of the apse at St. Paul Outside the Walls - click to enlarge

About the life of Jacopo Torriti we know very little. It is assumed that he was born in the middle of the thirteenth century, and that he died at the beginning of 1300.

In the Lateran mosaic he left us a self-portrait, where appears in the Franciscan habit, accompanied by the inscription (translated from Latin), "painter Jacopo Torriti made this work in the year of the Lord 1292". Unfortunately the rebuilding of the apse, perpetrated in 1878, has profoundly altered the mosaic, the work of Jacopo, already complex because it had to cohabit with pre-existing elements, it is not a little compromised. As for the Franciscan habit he wore it must be remembered that the sponsor, Pope Nicholas IV, was the first Franciscan Pope.

The same Nicholas IV entrusted to Jacopo for the design of the magnificent mosaics of the apse of Santa Maria Maggiore

representing the coronation of Mary and Stories of Mary. The cartons were signed by Jacopo and bear the date of 1296.

In the lunette above the side entrance of Santa Maria in Aracoeli he has left us a beautiful Madonna and Child.
It is assumed that he participated in the Gothic decoration of the Hall at the Four Crowned Saints, in particular his contribution would be related to the Allegories of the Vices and Virtues.
We know that he worked at Assisi in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco and is presumed to have known Cimabue.
However, his artistic development, strongly influenced by Pietro Cavallini, is undoubtedly Roman.

If we know little about Jacopo Torriti, yet less we know of Pilippo Rusuti, who worked with Jacopo Torriti in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco of Assisi.

His only signed work is the mosaic of the façade of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The mosaic is divided into two registers, the upper register, depicting Christ in Glory between the symbols of the Evangelists, the Virgin and Saints James Paul, John the Baptist and Peter, was signed.
The lower register with the story of the foundation of the church is believed to have been completed later by his students following his cartoons. The sponsor of the work, made between 1288 and 1297, was Cardinal Pietro Colonna.

Still, thanks to the Colonna family, as assitant of Pietro Cavallini, around 1320 he went to Naples, where he participated in the decoration of the chapel Brancaccio in the church of San Domenico Maggiore.

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