average person. The intersection of the two pyramids—two triangles—is in
the body of the cruci¿ ed Christ.
The concept of the Trinity—three in one, one in three—is a central tenet
of Catholicism that has been debated for centuries. However, Masaccio
has conceived and achieved a powerful pictorial comprehension of this
intellectual, emotional, and theological concept.
In 1428, having completed The Trinity fresco in Santa Maria Novella,
Masaccio left for Rome, summoned to another project. Surely he intended to
return to Florence to complete the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel, but he
died in Rome in 1428 at age 26. Despite his short life, he changed the course
of Western European art forever. Ŷ
Masaccio:
Expulsion of Adam and Eve, The Tribute Money, Baptism of the
Neophytes, St. Peter Healing with His Shadow, c. 1425–28, fresco,
Brancacci Chapel, Church of Sta. Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy.
Madonna and Child Enthroned, 1426, tempera on panel, 53 ¼ x 28 ¾”
(135.5 x 73 cm), National Gallery, London, Great Britain.
The Trinity, c. 1428, fresco, 22’ x 10’ 5’’ (6.4 x 3.2 m), Church of Sta.
Maria Novella, Florence, Italy.Masolino:
St. Peter Healing a Cripple, Raising of Tabitha, and Temptation of Adam
and Eve, c. 1424–25, fresco, Brancacci Chapel, Church of Sta. Maria
del Carmine, Florence, Italy.Ahl, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Masaccio.
Casazza, Masaccio and the Brancacci Chapel.
Works Discussed
Suggested Reading