Virgin and Child with Saints George and Martin
painter
Francesc Comes the Younger
(active about 1380 - 1417)
Dateabout 1395
Place MadeSpain, Europe
MediumTempera and gold on panel
Dimensions75.1 x 114 cm (29 9/16 x 44 7/8 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP16e16
eMuseum ID721693
EmbARK ObjectID10930
TMS Source ID189
Last Updated8/9/24
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryPainter to the King of Aragon, Francesc Comes worked on the island of Majorca. Lavish detail and the unusual format of this painting point to its historic importance. The donor kneeling in prayer next to the Virgin may even be the king himself.
Gardner acquired this painting in 1901, believing it to be the work of a Northern Italian painter. Strong links between Renaissance Italy and Aragon probably account for the stylistic similarities between paintings from the two geographically disparate locations. Gardner probably first saw the painting in 1897, years before she purchased it, when she visited the gallery of the Parisian collector Émile Gavet, from whom she acquired several works of Gothic art.
Gardner acquired this painting in 1901, believing it to be the work of a Northern Italian painter. Strong links between Renaissance Italy and Aragon probably account for the stylistic similarities between paintings from the two geographically disparate locations. Gardner probably first saw the painting in 1897, years before she purchased it, when she visited the gallery of the Parisian collector Émile Gavet, from whom she acquired several works of Gothic art.
BibliographyNotesCatalogue. Fenway Court. (Boston, 1903), p. 9. (as North Italian School, 15th century)
Chandler Rathfon Post. A History of Spanish Painting. Vol. 2. (Cambridge, 1930), pp. 312-14, fig. 188. (as School of Jaime Serra?)
Chandler Rathfon Post. A History of Spanish Painting. Vol. 6. (Cambridge, 1935), pp. 586-87. (refutes his attribution in Vol. 2, now as Inca Master)
Philip Hendy. Catalogue of Exhibited Paintings and Drawings (Boston, 1931), pp. 330-333. (as Jaime and Pedro Serra)
A. Van de Put. "A Primitive at Boston and the Double Crown of Aragon." Art in America (Feb. 1932), pp. 51-59. (as Jaime Serra and his followers. Donor as Fadrich (1402–38), bastard grandson of Juan I, the King of Aragon)
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), pp. 114-15. (as studio of Jaime and Pedro Serra)
Ronald Hilton. Handbook of Hispanic Source Materials and Research Organizations in the United States (Stanford, California, 1956), p. 195. (as studio of Jaime or Pedro Serra)
Martí de Riquer. Bernat Metge, obras completas (Barcelona, 1959), pp. 166-67. (Donor as Juan I, King of Aragon, reigned 1387–1395. Painting dated to 1395)
Judith Berg Sobré. "A Triptych by Francesc Comes." Fenway Court (Dec. 1969), pp. 9-16, nos. 1-2. (as Francesc Comes. Donor as a member of the royal house of Aragon, probably Juan I)
Philip Hendy. European and American Paintings in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1974), pp. 56-58. (as Francesc Comes)
Eric Young. "Notes on Spanish Paintings in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum." Fenway Court (1979), pp. 24-30, nos. 1-2. (as Francesc Comes)
Judith Sobré and Lynette M. F. Bosch. The Artistic Splendor of the Spanish Kingdoms: The Art of Fifteenth-Century Spain. Exh. cat. (Boston: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 1996), pp. 23-25, no. 3. (as Francesc Comes, about 1395. Donor as probably Juan I)
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), p. 153. (as Francesc Comes, about 1395. Donor as a member of the royal house of Aragon, Juan I or Martin)
Daniela Karl in Andreas Schumacher (ed.) et. al. Florentiner Malerei - Alte Pinakothek Die Gemälde des 14. Bis. 16 Jahrhunderts (Munich, 2017), p. 222, no. 10.4 (as sole example of a donor wearing the double crown insignia of Ivan I and Martin)
Manuel Castiñeiras Gonzalez. "La Catapulta de San Jorge, de Capadocia al Atlantico: Apropiacion, Encuentros e Identitades en Pugna", in Imagens e Liturgia na Idade Media, ed. Carla Varela Fernandes, Manuel Castiñeiras Gonzalez (Lisbon, 2021), p. 49, fig. 18 (as Frances Comes, about 1395. Donor as Martin, brother of Juan I)
Chandler Rathfon Post. A History of Spanish Painting. Vol. 2. (Cambridge, 1930), pp. 312-14, fig. 188. (as School of Jaime Serra?)
Chandler Rathfon Post. A History of Spanish Painting. Vol. 6. (Cambridge, 1935), pp. 586-87. (refutes his attribution in Vol. 2, now as Inca Master)
Philip Hendy. Catalogue of Exhibited Paintings and Drawings (Boston, 1931), pp. 330-333. (as Jaime and Pedro Serra)
A. Van de Put. "A Primitive at Boston and the Double Crown of Aragon." Art in America (Feb. 1932), pp. 51-59. (as Jaime Serra and his followers. Donor as Fadrich (1402–38), bastard grandson of Juan I, the King of Aragon)
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), pp. 114-15. (as studio of Jaime and Pedro Serra)
Ronald Hilton. Handbook of Hispanic Source Materials and Research Organizations in the United States (Stanford, California, 1956), p. 195. (as studio of Jaime or Pedro Serra)
Martí de Riquer. Bernat Metge, obras completas (Barcelona, 1959), pp. 166-67. (Donor as Juan I, King of Aragon, reigned 1387–1395. Painting dated to 1395)
Judith Berg Sobré. "A Triptych by Francesc Comes." Fenway Court (Dec. 1969), pp. 9-16, nos. 1-2. (as Francesc Comes. Donor as a member of the royal house of Aragon, probably Juan I)
Philip Hendy. European and American Paintings in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1974), pp. 56-58. (as Francesc Comes)
Eric Young. "Notes on Spanish Paintings in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum." Fenway Court (1979), pp. 24-30, nos. 1-2. (as Francesc Comes)
Judith Sobré and Lynette M. F. Bosch. The Artistic Splendor of the Spanish Kingdoms: The Art of Fifteenth-Century Spain. Exh. cat. (Boston: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 1996), pp. 23-25, no. 3. (as Francesc Comes, about 1395. Donor as probably Juan I)
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), p. 153. (as Francesc Comes, about 1395. Donor as a member of the royal house of Aragon, Juan I or Martin)
Daniela Karl in Andreas Schumacher (ed.) et. al. Florentiner Malerei - Alte Pinakothek Die Gemälde des 14. Bis. 16 Jahrhunderts (Munich, 2017), p. 222, no. 10.4 (as sole example of a donor wearing the double crown insignia of Ivan I and Martin)
Manuel Castiñeiras Gonzalez. "La Catapulta de San Jorge, de Capadocia al Atlantico: Apropiacion, Encuentros e Identitades en Pugna", in Imagens e Liturgia na Idade Media, ed. Carla Varela Fernandes, Manuel Castiñeiras Gonzalez (Lisbon, 2021), p. 49, fig. 18 (as Frances Comes, about 1395. Donor as Martin, brother of Juan I)
ProvenanceNotesCollection of Émile Gavet (1830–1904).
Purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from the art dealers Durand-Ruel, New York on 23 February 1901 for $3600. (as North Italian School)
Purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from the art dealers Durand-Ruel, New York on 23 February 1901 for $3600. (as North Italian School)
Andrea Mantegna
about 1497-1500
Object/Provenance
