Czére Andrea szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 104. (Budapest, 2006)

ANNA EÖRSI: "...there is One Among You Whom You Do Not Recognise": Some Golden Threads to Miklós Boskovits with Reference to Duccio's Saint John the Baptist

"...THERE IS ONE AMONG YOU WHOM YOU DO NOT RECOGNISE" SOME GOLDEN THREADS TO MIKLÓS BOSKOVITS WITH REFERENCE TO DUCCIO'S SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST ANNA EÖRSI In the 96th issue of the Bulletin, Victor M. Schmidt with three categorical and a less definite argument refuted Miklós Boskovits's theory that the painting under inv. no. 6. in the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest once belonged to the predella of Duccio's Maestà (fig. I).

1 "First, the red colour of Christ's garment is too dark. Throughout the Maestà, Christ w

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ears a bright red tunic... Second, Christ's blue mantle is covered with golden striations. In the Maestà, this feature only occurs in the Transfiguration (London, National Gallerv) and in the post-Resurrection scenes, so as to indicate Christ's glorified state. Third, Christ's halo and the shape of the Cross in it have painted contours, whereas all the halos in the Maestà have incised decorations. [...] Finally, it would seem doubtful whether the scene of the Baptist Bearing Witness was represented in the Maestà's predella at all."

2 The latest technical examination ascertained that from the original state of the picture only the coat of paint has remained; some parts of it are heavily repainted, others are in a better state of preservation.

3 The colours have endarkened, the mordent gilding on Christ's robe is original. The halos are nineteenth century additions. Considering the fact that the painting lost not only its wooden support, but also its original canvas and ground, we cannot rule out the possibility that the halos were originally incised. In my opinion from among Schmidt's counter-arguments

—supporting his opinion that the Budapest panel never belonged to the Maestà

—his remarks on the golden striations and the theme of the painting cannot be justified, moreover, the golden ornament on Christ's robe definitely places the depiction in proximity to the Maestà.