Page 4 - Jacobello del Fiore - His Oeuvre and a Sumptuous Crucifixion

FOREWORD

Iwould like to express my thanks to Prof. Daniele Benati for such a detailed updating of
Jacobello del Fiore’s corpus. Plans for this publication were floated in 2004 and the text was
almost complete in 2005 when Prof. Benati realised that there was a discrepancy in
identifying a number of works as being by Jacobello’s father, Francesco. Detailed examination and
research concluded that many works, which, in fact, may be firmly given to Jacobello, thereby
establishing his character and importance, had, over the years, been variously assigned to other
artists or names of convenience. Thus, the present essay should prove to be a most useful piece
of scholarship for those interested in early quattrocento studies.

Iam indebted to Frank Dabell for an excellent translation, to Andrea Gates for revisions, to
Keith Christiansen, Larry Kanter and Pia Palladino for helpful suggestions, to Umberto Ticci
and Bruno Miccinesi for a very sensitive and delicate conservation (the panel alone took almost
three years to stabilise and consolidate) and as always to Romano Binazzi in following through my
often ‘crackpot’ ideas in realising yet another catalogue with quirks and refinements, which are a
nightmare to put into effect and a challenge to the abilities of a graphic technician. Finally, my
thanks go to Art and Pixel and to Fulvio in particular for rising to the challenge of making the
separations and mock-up to my satisfaction in only three days.

PATRICK MATTHIESEN

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