Vitale da Bologna
(b before 1309; d between 1359 and
1361).
Italian painter, Bolognese school
The earliest documentary references to Vitale concern
S Francesco, Bologna, where he was paid for decorating a
chapel in 1330 and where he witnessed deeds in 1334. He
was probably born before 1309, since he would have been
at least 25 to act as a witness. The earliest works
attributed to him are the frescoes of standing saints
and Abraham and the Blessed Souls (Bologna, S
Martino), which show a strong Riminese influence in the
cool, wine-red and olive tones and lean, high-cheeked
faces. Vitale’s work continued to reflect Riminese
iconography and features, particularly the vivid
characterizations associated with Pietro da Rimini, but
his style became less dependent upon these sources. He
was paid for paintings in a chapel and the guests’
refectory of S Francesco in 1340. The Last Supper
from the refectory (detached; Bologna, Pin. N.) retains
the cool pinks and rows of standing saints of the S
Martino frescoes, but the modelling of the figures is
richer and more expressive. The long table and
symmetrical architecture are inspired by Giotto’s
frescoes in the Bardi Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence, and the
radical transformation in Vitale’s style, which set him
apart from his Bolognese contemporaries, was partly due
to Giotto’s influence. Above all, however, his style was
influenced by the Master of the Triumph of Death at
Pisa. The lively gestures, the loose modelling and
lime-green and vermilion palette of Bolognese
illuminators, particularly the Illustratore, also began
to influence Vitale. Bolognese illumination provided a
repertory of genre observation that undoubtedly affected
his wide range of iconographic innovations. These varied
influences can be seen in the uneven but lively quality
of the Crucifixion (c. 1335–40;
Philadelphia, PA, Mus. A.). Vitale’s work is also often
compared to that of Sienese painters. There is no
substantial evidence of direct influence but his use of
dramatic facial types reminiscent of Pietro Lorenzetti
and a decorative richness akin to Simone Martini’s
painting suggest that he knew their work.
