Crocefissi lignei a Venezia e nei territori della Serenissima. 1350-1500 modelli diffusione restauro

The volume reveals the growing interest of scholars for the wooden sculpture, in this particular case for the polychrome wooden Crucifixes produced in Venice and in the territories of the Venetian Republic, between 1350 and 1500.
The corpus of the works counts many pieces of a very high artistic quality, unpublished or not systematically studied before, with a special regard to the typology of the "Crocifisso gotico doloroso" in the Veneto and Friuli; the study identifies related works, attributing a series of Crucifixes to the same atelier, researching also the relations to the contemporary stone sculpture.
The influence of the nordic sculpture on the Venetian art is a thoroughly studied theme, in specially with regard to the XV century Crucifix from the church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, compared to works from the Germanic area and to other Italian pieces, and to the Crucifix from Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. This latter one, carved before 1475, is one of the most important examples in Venice in the period of time examined; the studies reveal it to be a model for many other works in Venice and the territories of the Serenissima, from the Belluno mountains to both sides of the Adriatic.
The sculptures are reunited in homogenous groups based on chronology, on stylistic and technical features; some hypothesis are elaborated with regard to their attribution and commissioners.
The volume also reserves a special attention to the restoration practice and to the importance of defining homogenous intervention procedures, that would allow to create a data-base of technical information, very useful also for the attribution of the single works. The studies promote reflections on the concept of model and underline the importance of constantly referring to the liturgic function of the pieces.
The variety of the aspects considered, as well as the critic accuracy of the studies, make this volume a scientific milestone, a necessary bases for all further research on this theme.