Judas Thaddeus

Details

With a written expert opinion by Prof. Nicolas Turner, dated 9 January 2011.

Description

This painting by Alessandro Vitali, a student of Barocci, shows St. Jude Thaddeus as a half figure with his attribute, the halberd, turned to the right, looking at the viewer. Together with Simon Zelotes, Judas Thaddeus was one of the twelve apostles and was usually depicted together with the latter, as both were venerated on the same day. In Federico Barocci’s 1567 altarpiece “Madonna di San Simone”, created for the church of San Francesco in Urbino and now in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, both saints appear in full size to the left and right of Mary. Here, however, Vitali has isolated the figure of Jude from the context of the sacra conversazione and given it a neutral dark background, thus elevating him to a pictorial subject in his own right. In comparison with Barocci’s depiction, it is noticeable that minor changes have been made in order to increase the figure’s sense of presence: Judas Thaddeus does not wear a halo, the decorative elements at the upper end of the halberd have been omitted, and the drapery and treatment of the robe have been simplified. In keeping with the precepts of the Counter-Reformation, the focus is on the saint’s gaze, which immediately captivates the viewer. Originally, the depiction probably served as a devotional picture: the inscription “C/M [onsigno]r f Giovanni …” on the back of the canvas (today obscured by the relining, but documented in a photograph) in an early 17th century script points to a former owner (perhaps the patron?) of the painting, probably a monk or clergyman, since the “f” of the inscription is not to be read as an initial, but as an abbreviation of “frater”. According to Nicolas Turner, the application of paint and the smooth surface suggest that the work was created during Barocci’s lifetime or a little later in his workshop. Barocci had many assistants, especially towards the end of his life, and Vitali was one of his most talented pupils. Only a few paintings by Vitali have survived; his best-known work is the “Annunciation” in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, based on a famous composition by Barocci. The same eyes appear there, as if carved out of black stone, that are characteristic of St. Jude. The figure of Jude Thaddeus was probably transferred by tracing from the original or with the help of the cartoon, which was probably still present in the workshop at that time.