In 1906 Galileo Chini, who, together with his cousin Chino, had founded the Fornaci San Lorenzo in that year, participates in an important restoration campaign inside the millenary Romanesque church of San Lorenzo.
The large painting in the apse is surely the most demanding of his works, depicting Christ the Redeemer enthroned between Saints Lorenzo and Martino, ancient protectors of the Municipality of Borgo San Lorenzo. This is probably one of the first artistic experiments of Galileo in Mugello (at least after the foundation of the Fornaci), but a clear sign of his fame in his native land.
The painting highlights some important elements of his art. Temporarily abandoning the liberty styles, the painter makes a notable adaptation of his production to the sacred and austere character of the building. Therefore, he performs a composition with a clearly neo-medieval tone and following the taste of the time; the multiple cultural experiences of the painter converge in a well-balanced synthesis; his intense activity of restorer of ancient paintings in the churches of Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Trinità and Santa Croce surely influenced this work.
The solemn, hieratic solidity of the figures, almost with a Romanesque tone, perfectly aligns with the modernist decorative refinements, which make this commitment of Galileo much more valuable than a simple neo-medieval painting.
The remarkable quality of the design reaches its peak in the splendid lower decorative band of the basin: its graphic and chromatic preciousness are combined with the modern elegance of the liberty style of Galileo.
Other creations by the Fornaci and Galileo Chini enriched the Pieve of San Lorenzo, but have disappeared over the decades. In particular, in 1907 the main chapel was equipped with two wrought iron gates made by the blacksmith Carlo Torelli from a design by Galileo; Niccolai remembers in 1914 the Chini decoration of the baptismal font in the chapel; and in 1919 Galileo and Chino had made a votive altar dedicated to the Madonna of purity.
Recently, a canvas by Galileo Chini was placed above the baptismal font. The painting, framed in a decorative work by the sculptor Salvatore Cipolla, represents a solemn figure of St. John the Baptist. Purchased by the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, the painting was then granted to the Borgo San Lorenzo parish. This work, belonging to the late phase of the Chini production, is characterized by the strong plasticity of the figure of the Saint, powerfully defined by fast and chromatically contrasting brushstrokes, which increases its dramatic effect.
© Il Filo – Idee e Notizie dal Mugello
