EARLY FRANCISCAN PAINTED PANELS AS A RESPONSE TO THE ITALIAN CATHARS _____________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _____________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________ by REBECCA ANNE HERTLING RUPPAR Dr. Anne Rudloff Stanton, Dissertation Supervisor JULY 2020 © Copyright by Rebecca A. All rights reserved. The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled EARLY FRANCISCAN PAINTED PANELS AS A RESPONSE TO THE ITALIAN CATHARS presented by Rebecca Anne Hertling Ruppar, a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance.
_________________________________________ Professor Anne Rudloff Stanton _________________________________________ Professor Jill Raitt _________________________________________ Professor Marcus Rautman _________________________________________ Professor Alisa McCusker DEDICATION Thank you to my dad who believed in me before I believed in myself and my mom who taught me to look for beauty and find it in unexpected places… To my brothers and sister for laughing with me through the process… And especially to my husband, Todd, and my sons, Paul and Edward, for their immeasurable love, boundless patience, and unwavering encouragement. I could not have achieved my dream without you. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my dissertation committee: Jill Raitt, whose personal and academic brilliance challenged and inspired me, Marcus Rautman, whose enthusiasm and humor introduced me to the joys of looking further back and turning my attention to the East, Alisa McCusker, whose understanding of material artifacts motivated deeper exploration, and especially to my advisor and confidant Anne Rudloff Stanton, whose rich knowledge and skillful counsel expanded my thinking and guided my writing with unfailing patience, incomparable wit, and gentle encouragement. I am grateful to the John D.
Bies International Travel Scholarship and the Edzard Baumann Memorial Travel Award, for their support of my research in Italy and France. The following people also contributed generously to my work there: Pierpaolo Mangani, Abbondio Zuppante, Adele Breda, Silvia Milana, Donatella Vaccari, Rosella Cavigli, Alessandro Benci, Iane Donnini, Elena Pinzauti, Sara Sabbatini, Precious Osayi, Claudia Timossi, Cinzia Pini, Lisa DiZanni, Fr., Noël and Mia Devisch, and the Poor Clare sisters of the Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgments. ii List of Figures…………………………………………………………….1 The State of the Field.
5 Scholarship on the Artwork. 6 Scholarship on the Cathars. 14 Scholarship on the Franciscans. 27 Chapter 1: Heresy and Reform.33 The Religious and Historical Context.
33 Catharism in Italy. 47 Response of the Church. 50 Francis of Assisi, Founding Brother. 54 The Fourth Lateran Council Addresses Heresy.
56 Chapter 2 Art and Materiality .61 Cathars and Materiality. 61 The Artistic Context of the Early Franciscans. 66 The History and Spiritual Depth of Wood-Panel Paintings. 69 Chapter 3: Icons of Francis as Orthodox Exemplar in Opposition to the Cathar Perfecti .87 Francis as Orthodox Preacher in Contrast to the Cathar Perfecti.
97 Francis as Alter Christus Manifested in the Stigmata. Vita Dossals as a Response to the Cathar Heresy .121 Scenes of Physical Healing. 128 Incarnation and Real Presence in the Eucharist. 136 Nature in the Vita Dossals.
141 iii Chapter 5 Countering Heresy through the Theology and Materiality of the Painted-Panel Crucifixes .153 The Original Franciscan Cross and its Environs. 166 The Crucifixes and the Early Franciscan Texts. 172 Focus on the Doctrine of the Incarnation. 183 Companions at the Cross.241 Appendix 1 Fourth Lateran Council: Canon 3 on Heresy (1215).
241 Appendix 2 Relevant text of On the Reduction of the Arts to Theology, Bonaventure. 242 Appendix 3 The Manger He Made in Celebration of the Lord’s Birthday, Thomas of Celano, Vita Prima Chapter XXX. 244 Appendix 4 The Account of the Nativity at Greccio, Bonaventure, Legenda Maior Chapter X. 246 Appendix 5 The First Admonition, The Body of Christ, Francis of Assisi.
248 Appendix 6 The Canticle of the Creatures, Francis of Assisi. 249 Appendix 7 Sermon to the Birds, Thomas of Celano, Vita Prima Chapter XXI. 251 Appendix 8 Sermon to the Birds, Bonaventure, Legenda Maior Chapter XII. 252 Appendix 9 The Spirit of Charity and the Feeling of Compassion for the Poor that Glowed in Him for What He Did with the Sheep and the Lambs, Thomas of Celano, Vita Prima Chapter XXVIII.
253 Appendix 10 Relevant Bibliography for Artwork .275 iv List of Figures Chapter 2 Art and Materiality .1 Maestro del Crocifisso di Gualdo Tadino, Crocifisso con San Francesco (verso), Museo Civico Rocca Flea, Gualdo Tadino .2 Maestro del Crocifisso di Gualdo Tadino, Crocifisso con San Francesco (verso, detail of fabric underlayer between boards), Museo Civico Rocca Flea, Gualdo Tadino .3 Expressionist Master of Santa Chiara, Cristo Crocifisso, Chiesa Museo di San Francesco, Montefalco (detail showing fabric underlayer between wood and gesso) .4 Maestro del San Francesco di Orte, San Francesco e Quattro Scene (detail of moldings), Museo d'Arte Sacra di Orte .5 Guido di Graziano (Guido of Siena), San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita (detail, compass guided, stamped and etched halo), Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena (Formerly in San Francesco in Colle Val d’Elsa) .6 Lex Lucis Spoletina, environmental law at Monteluca .7 View of the Spoleto Valley from Monteluco .8 Margarito d’Arezzo, San Francesco, Pinacoteca Comunale, Castiglion Fiorentino. 224 Chapter 3 Icons of Francis as Orthodox Exemplar in Opposition to the Cathar Perfecti .1 San Francesco, Benedictine Monastery in Subiaco, Italy .2 Margarito d’Arezzo and assistant, San Francesco, Galleria e Museo Medievale e Moderno, Arezzo (originally from Sargiano).3 Margarito d’Arezzo, San Francesco, Vatican Pinacoteca, Rome .4 John Chrysostom, mosaic detail from Palatine Chapel, Sicily .5 Attributed to Maestro della Croce Coppo di Marcovaldo, San Francesco, Storie della sua Vita e Miracoli Dopo la Morte (detail, Francis Preaching to a Crowd), Museo Civici di Pistoia.6 Sano di Pietro, Predicación de San Bernardino por Sano di Pietro (detail). Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena.7 Bonaventura Berlinghieri, San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita (detail, Stigmatization), Chiesa di San Francesco, Pescia .8 Maestro del San Francesco Bardi (possibly Coppo di Marcovaldo, San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita (detail, Stigmatization), Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence .9 Attributed to Maestro della Croce Coppo di Marcovaldo, San Francesco, Storie della sua Vita e Miracoli Dopo la Morte (detail, Stigmatization), Museo Civici di Pistoia .10 Maestro del San Francesco di Orte, San Francesco e Quattro Scene (detail, Stigmatization), Museo d'Arte Sacra di Orte .11 Guido di Graziano, San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita (detail, Stigmatization), Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena. Francis Master, San Francesco, Museo della Porziuncola, Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi.13 Anonymous Roman Artist, Saint François d'Assise, Musée du Louvre, Paris .14 Cimabue, San Francesco, Assisi, Museo della Porziuncola, Santa Maria degli Angeli.
228 Chapter 4 Vita Dossals as a Response to the Cathar Heresy .1 Reconciliation of a Cathar, from San Francesco e Quattro Scene, Museo d'Arte Sacra di Orte .2 San Francesco e Quattro Scene, Museo d'Arte Sacra di Orte .3 Reconciliation with an Icon, from San Francesco e Quattro Scene, Museo d'Arte Sacra di Orte. San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Chiesa di San Francesco, Pescia .5 Healing of the Girl with the Twisted Neck, detail from San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Chiesa di San Francesco, Pescia .6 Healing of the Girl with the Twisted Neck and Exorcism, detail from San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita, Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence .7 Healing of the Girl with the Twisted Neck, from San Francesco, Storie della sua Vita e Miracoli Dopo la Morte, Museo Civici di Pistoia.8 Healing of the Girl with the Twisted Neck, detail from San Francesco e Quattro Miracoli, Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi .9 Healing of the Girl with the Twisted Neck, from San Francesco e Quattro Miracoli Post-Mortem, Vatican Pinacoteca, Rome .10 Healing of the Girl with the Twisted Neck, detail from Dossale con San Francesco e Sei Miracoli, Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa .11 Healing of Bartholomew of Narni, detail from San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Chiesa di San Francesco, Pescia.12 Healing of Bartholomew of Narni, detail from San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita, Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence .13 Healing of Bartholomew of Narni, from San Francesco, Storie della sua Vita e Miracoli Dopo la Morte, Museo Civici di Pistoia.14 Healing of Bartholomew of Narni, detail from San Francesco e Quattro Miracoli, Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi .15 Healing of Bartholomew of Narni, from San Francesco e Quattro Miracoli Post-Mortem, Vatican Pinacoteca, Rome .16 Healing of Bartholomew of Narni, detail from Dossale con San Francesco e Sei Miracoli, Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa .17 Healing of Child’s Eyes on the Feast of St. Francis, from Dossale con San Francesco e Sei Miracoli, Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa .18 Nativity at Greccio, detail from San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita, Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence .19 Nativity at Greccio, from San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena.20 Sermon to the Birds, detail from San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Chiesa di San Francesco, Pescia .21 Sermon to the Birds, detail from San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita, Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence .22 Sermon to the Birds, from San Francesco e Quattro Scene, Museo d'Arte Sacra di Orte .23 Sermon to the Birds, from San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena.24 Francis Ransoms the Lambs from Among the Goats, detail from San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita, Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence .25 Francis Exchanges his Cloak for Two Lambs a Shepherd is Carrying to Slaughter, detail from San Francesco e Venti Storie della sua Vita, Basilica di Santa Croce, Cappella Bardi, Florence.26 Stigmatization, detail from San Francesco e Storie della sua Vita, Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena .27 Assisi townscape, detail from San Francesco e Quattro Miracoli, Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi .28 Altars in the Exorcism and Healing of Pilgrims scenes, detail from San Francesco e Quattro Miracoli, Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi .29 Altar in the Lower Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi. 234 Chapter 5 Countering Heresy through the Theology and Materiality of the Painted-Panel Crucifixes .1 Cross of Maestro Guglielmo, Cathedral of Sarzana, Italy .2 Cross of Maestro Guglielmo (in situ), Cathedral of Sarzana, Italy .3 Cross of San Damiano in the Basilica of Santa Chiara, Assisi, Italy .4 Theoretical Format of lower part of Giunta Pisano’s Crucifix for the Basilica di San Francesco .5 Giunta Pisano, Crucifix of Santa Maria degli Angeli alla Porziuncola, Assisi .6 Verification of the Stigmata, Upper Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi 237 viii Figure 5.7 Nativity at Greccio, Upper Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi .8 Crucifixion wall painting in the Church of Nemanja in the Studenica Monastery .9 Crucifixion wall painting in the Church of the Resurrection in the Žiča Monastery .10 The Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, and the Harrowing of Hell, from the Dodecaorton Epistyle, Chapel of Constantine and Helena, Monastery of St.
Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt .11 The Ascension, Pentecost, and Dormition, from the Dodecaorton Epistyle, Chapel of Constantine and Helena, Monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt.12 Baptism of Christ, the Transfiguration, and the Raising of Lazarus, from the Dodecaorton Epistyle, Chapel of St. George, Monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt .13 Annunciation, the Nativity, and Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple, from the Dodecaorton Epistyle, Chapel of St.
George, Monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt .14 Crocifisso con San Francesco, Basilica di San Francesco, Arezzo, Italy by a Follower of Master of Santa Chiara.15 Basilica di San Francesco (interior), Arezzo .