Late 1528 or 1529

On this project and its documentation, see the Preface to D.31-34 and the related entries.

In the inventory of 1532 of Rosso’s possessions that were left behind when he fled Arezzo in 1529 (see DOC.13) there is listed: “doi desegnetti in carta in uno guluppo, per la Cappella magiore.”

It is probable that these two small drawings were of two of the three compositions that are known to have been made for the fresco project at S. Maria delle Lagrime in Arezzo (see above).  One could have been the autograph Throne of Solomon in Bayonne (D.34) and the other the Allegory of the Immaculate Conception in Florence (D.32) or a drawing for the third known composition for this project (see D.33A).  Or they were drawings of totally lost compositions.  One difficulty with this identification is the specification of “Cappella magiore” in the inventory entry.  The vault that Rosso was to fresco is not actually over what would normally be so called, that is, the area related to the high altar of the church.  It was apparently only the atrium of the church with which Rosso was concerned, with the frescoing of its vault and with the design of an altar for this location (see D.38).  It is just possible that the entry refers to the latter but then one might expect the specification of an altar rather than a chapel.  More likely is it that the “doi desegnetti” were for the fresco project.