Holy Trinity, Renaissance fresco in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy
Description
Holy Trinity is a fresco in the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy, measuring 667 centimeters in height and 317 centimeters in width. The life-sized figures are set within a painted architectural frame that includes pilasters, a barrel vault, and a classical pediment.
History
Masaccio painted this work between 1425 and 1427, creating one of the first large-scale representations with mathematical perspective in Western painting. An altar and a painting of the Madonna del Rosario covered the fresco from 1570 onward, until its rediscovery in the 19th century.
Culture
The composition shows God the Father holding Christ on the cross, with Mary and John the Evangelist standing beside them, while two kneeling donors appear at the lower edge. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovers between Father and Son, completing the trinitarian arrangement.
Practical
The fresco is located on the third arcade of the left nave in Santa Maria Novella church and can be viewed during regular opening hours. The central position inside the church allows observation from multiple angles.
Did you know?
The lower section of the fresco features a painted skeleton lying on a sarcophagus, accompanied by a Latin inscription about the fleeting nature of life. The inscription reminds visitors that death awaits everyone, regardless of rank or wealth.
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