Ferrara Cathedral Organ Case

Ferrara Cathedral Organ Case
St George and the Princess from the work
Artist	Cosmè Tura
Year	1469
Medium	tempera on canvas
Dimensions	349 cm × 152 cm (137 in × 60 in)
Location	Cathedral Museum, Ferrara

Annunciation

The Ferrara Cathedral Organ Case was a set of 1469 tempera on canvas paintings by Cosme Tura, originally forming doors for the organ at Ferrara Cathedral but now in the cathedral museum.[1] Originally double-sided, the front and back of each door have now been separated. As originally constructed, the doors showed an annunciation scene when open and Saint George and the Princess when closed.[2]

They are rare evidence of the artist's work after he was made court painter in 1456, both in terms of quality and as a fixed point in the chronology of the artist's oeuvre. He was paid for them on 2 June 1469, as shown by one of the few surviving documents relating to his artistic career.[3] It shows influences from international Gothic (then prevalent at the court in Ferrara), Piero della Francesca, Mantegna and followers of Francesco Squarcione.[4]

References

1. (in Italian) Pierluigi De Vecchi and Elda Cerchiari, I tempi dell'arte, volume 2, Bompiani, Milano 1999. ISBN 88-451-7212-0
2. (in Italian) Jadranka Bentini (editor), San Giorgio e la principessa di Cosmè Tura. Dipinti restaurati per l'officina ferrarese, Bologna, Nuova Alfa, 1985.
3. "Biography of the artist". Archived from the original on 2011-05-11. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
4. (in Italian) Stefano Zuffi, Il Quattrocento, Electa, Milano 2004. ISBN 8837023154