Testa di S. Ambrogio
Technical Details
-
Title
Testa di S. Ambrogio -
Author
Mosaicista dell'Italia settentrionale -
Year
Prima metà del IX secolo -
Dimensions
cm 35 x 27 -
Inventory
7425 -
Room
50
The fragment was part of the large mosaic complex decorating the apsidal area of the basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan, from which it was detached between 1845 and 1848 along with those with the figures of St. Protaso (now in the Civiche Raccolte d’Arte Antica, Castello Sforzesco), St. Martin and an Acolyte (hours in the Civici Musei di Brescia).
The restorer, Giovanni Moro, redid almost the entire mosaic surface, taking parts of it, including this head.
The mosaics are dated by critics to the time of Archbishops Thadon (860-868) and Anspertus (868-881), both because of the use of Greek inscriptions identifying the characters and because of the strong Byzantine accent in the central group.
