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The Problem of Francesco Traini

1933; College Art Association; Volume: 15; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00043079.1933.11408632

1559-6478

Millard Meiss,

Renaissance and Early Modern Studies

In the notice of Francesco Traini1 which appears at the end of the life of Orcagna in the second edition of The Lives, Vasari attributes to this Pisan master two altarpieces, both in the church of S. Catarina in Pisa.2 Of the first, the triptych of St. Dominic (Fig. 1), he gives a short description, and a brief but quite appropriate characterization of the small scenes from the legend of the saint: “molto pronte e vivaci e ben colorite.” Of the second altarpiece, representing the Glorification of St. Thomas Aquinas (Fig. 2), he writes with greater interest and enthusiasm. He describes its design, identifies the figures, and concludes: “una tavola a tempera con invenzione capricciosa che è molto lodata…. la quale opera finita che fu, acquistò grandissimo onore e lodi a Francesco Traini, avendo egli nel lavorarla avanzato il suo maestro Andrea nel colorito, nell'unione, e nell'invenzione di gran lunga.” Despite the conventional form of part of this tribute, it seems clear that Vasari considered Traini a very good painter (“secondo quei tempi”), good enough to be claimed for Florence, and good enough to have surpassed his supposed master, Andrea di Cione. It is also clear that, of the two paintings which the biographer attributed to Traini, he believed the St. Thomas altarpiece to be superior in quality.