Master of San Martino di Siracusa
97 x 57 cm
The Sacred Conversation and the Stone of Unction, attributed to the Master of San Martino, is a late Gothic masterpiece from Syracuse. The Virgin teaches the Child, surrounded by four virgin martyrs—Lucy, Agatha, Catherine, and Margaret—rendered with refined gestures and vibrant draperies. Above, the Stone of Unction shows Christ’s anointing by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, with mourners including the Virgin tenderly kissing her Son’s hand. Though not in the Gospels, this scene appears widely in Iberian altarpieces, reflecting Mediterranean diffusion.
Stylistic elements—burnished flesh tones, granular haloes, semicircular thrones, and meticulous details—mirror the San Martino triptych and confirm Massari’s hand. The composition blends drama and elegance, with expressive gestures and harmonious visual rhythm. Urban and vegetal backgrounds recall Nordic and Valencian models. The saints’ attributes affirm Sicilian origin, while the panel’s emotional depth and refined execution reflect Syracuse’s Aragonese cosmopolitanism and mark a pinnacle of early 15th-century Sicilian painting.
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