Madonna and Child with Saints (The Sterbini Triptych)
- Attributed to
- Master of San Lucchese, Italian, active 14th century
- Date
- c.1345
- Material
- Tempera and gold leaf on panel
- made in
- Florence, Tuscany region, Italy, Europe
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- European Art to 1800
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 222
- Dimensions
- open: 16 x 17 1/2 in. (40.6 x 44.5 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 51:1926
NOTES
This richly adorned triptych with elaborate decorative motifs punched into the surface of the gilding presents the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven. Surrounded by a celestial court of saints and angels, her seated figure seems to hover within a mandorla, an almond-shaped aura. On the left wing are Saints Peter (with a key), John the Baptist (holding a cruciform staff), Mary Magdalen (with an ointment jar), Gregory the Great (in papal miter), and Dominic (tonsured). They are balanced on the right wing by Saints Paul (with a sword), Stephen (holding a book), and Augustine (in bishop’s miter). The exterior of the wings contain coats of arms, identified as those of the Sterbini family from Florence.
Provenance
by 1908 -
Sterbini Collection, presumably the Conte Giulio Sterbini, Rome, Italy [1]
Marquard Collection, Florence, Italy [2]
Private Collection, England [3]
Robert Langton Douglas (1864-1951), London, England [4]
by 1924 -
F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc., New York, NY, USA [5]
1926 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from F. Kleinberger Galleries Inc. [6]
Notes:
[1] Venturi discusses the triptych as being in the Sterbini Collection in a 1908 publication [Venturi, A. "Un Trittico di Maso di Banco nella quadreria Sterbini in Roma," in "L'Arte." Vol. 2 (1908): 137-138, illustration].
[2] Marquard's ownership has been disputed by former Saint Louis Art Museum curator Nancy Ward Neilson [undated provenance notes, SLAM document files]. However, the dealer, F. Kleinberger, noted in a letter dated April 14, 1926 that Raimond van Marle mentions the painting in volume four of his book series [SLAM document files]. The passage in van Marle's book refers to the triptych as being part of the dispersed Marquard collection in Florence, Italy [Marle, Raimond van. "The Development of the Italian Schools of Painting." Vol. 4. The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff, p. 235].
[3] According to the Getty Provenance Index, the painting was in an anonymous English collection [SLAM document files]. In the letter from note [2], Kleinberger acknowledges the purchase of the painting from Robert Langton Douglas, who also mentioned that the triptych was most recently in a private English collection.
[4] See note [3].
[5] Kleinberger purchased the triptych by 1924 since it appeared in the 1924 Kleinberger Galleries sales catalogue ["F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc." F. Kleinberger Galleries, New York, November, 1924, cat. no. 6].
[6] Invoice from F. Kleinberger Galleries dated April 16, 1926 [SLAM documents files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, April 9, 1926.
Sterbini Collection, presumably the Conte Giulio Sterbini, Rome, Italy [1]
Marquard Collection, Florence, Italy [2]
Private Collection, England [3]
Robert Langton Douglas (1864-1951), London, England [4]
by 1924 -
F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc., New York, NY, USA [5]
1926 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from F. Kleinberger Galleries Inc. [6]
Notes:
[1] Venturi discusses the triptych as being in the Sterbini Collection in a 1908 publication [Venturi, A. "Un Trittico di Maso di Banco nella quadreria Sterbini in Roma," in "L'Arte." Vol. 2 (1908): 137-138, illustration].
[2] Marquard's ownership has been disputed by former Saint Louis Art Museum curator Nancy Ward Neilson [undated provenance notes, SLAM document files]. However, the dealer, F. Kleinberger, noted in a letter dated April 14, 1926 that Raimond van Marle mentions the painting in volume four of his book series [SLAM document files]. The passage in van Marle's book refers to the triptych as being part of the dispersed Marquard collection in Florence, Italy [Marle, Raimond van. "The Development of the Italian Schools of Painting." Vol. 4. The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff, p. 235].
[3] According to the Getty Provenance Index, the painting was in an anonymous English collection [SLAM document files]. In the letter from note [2], Kleinberger acknowledges the purchase of the painting from Robert Langton Douglas, who also mentioned that the triptych was most recently in a private English collection.
[4] See note [3].
[5] Kleinberger purchased the triptych by 1924 since it appeared in the 1924 Kleinberger Galleries sales catalogue ["F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc." F. Kleinberger Galleries, New York, November, 1924, cat. no. 6].
[6] Invoice from F. Kleinberger Galleries dated April 16, 1926 [SLAM documents files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, April 9, 1926.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.