Ambrose was the revered patron saint of Milan, whose name was given to many men from Lombardy and Piedmont. Ambrogio Bergognone depicts an encounter between Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, (337/340–397) and the Roman emperor Theodosius I (347–395). The bishop refused to allow the emperor to enter Milan Cathedral because of the massacre at Thessalonica in 390 which Theodosius had ordered. More than 7,000 citizens were slain by imperial troops in revenge for a riot in which the Roman governor was killed. Ambrose forced the emperor to repent for many months before permitting him to take Communion again. The fourth-century scene occurs in Milan, with figures in contemporary dress in front of a recognisable church of San Gottardo and the Verziere (the greengrocers’ market) located near the cathedral, revealing their distinctive Milanese Gothic architecture.

The drama inherent in the scene—a bishop rebuking an emperor—is rendered quietly by the artist. Two parties stand more or less in line across the front of the painting, the bishop-saint with mitre and halo among his prelates; the emperor with his courtiers on the right. It is a low-key confrontation between the power of the Church and the power of the state. Ambrose is shown in profile, with hands outstretched; while Theodosius turns toward him and gestures with the open palm of his right hand. His gold staff with orb provides a strong vertical, echoed by the bishop’s crozier held by Ambrose’s priestly attendant. Gold also describes the chain of office worn by Theodosius. Bergognone’s palette moves from whites and rich reds for the bishop’s group to the emperor’s silvery and green patterned and fur-trimmed robe. An orange hat with a feather brightens the group on the right. All the protagonists wear gorgeous clothes, reinforcing their respective power and wealth. Behind a low wall is a lively street scene with citizens and a dog.

The panel formed part of the predella, or small scenes at the foot of an altarpiece, for one of Bergognone’s major works in the Certosa at Pavia, the Saint Ambrose altarpiece 1490.[1] The Certosa, or Carthusian charterhouse, is a magnificent monastery and church established by the Visconti rulers of Lombardy in 1396. The dukedom passed to the Sforza family in 1450, and the ruler Ludovico dominated artistic life in the duchy. Bergognone was chief painter at the Certosa from 1488 to 1494 and completed three altarpieces there.

The predella performed an important didactic function in an altarpiece, adding to the central religious scene, usually a Nativity or Crucifixion. Its smaller panels often told the story of a saint to the largely illiterate worshippers, focusing on the stages of his or her life—including birth, conversion, miracles performed and death, especially martyrdom. Four panels of the Saint Ambrose altarpiece are known: The birth of Saint Ambrose, The consecration of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose preaching, as well as The meeting of Saint Ambrose and the Emperor Theodosius.[2] Because Ambrose was a known historical figure, whose life was chronicled at the time, his political as well as spiritual deeds are depicted in the paintings.

Christine Dixon

[1]Museo Certosa, Pavia.

[2]The birth of Saint Ambrose, Kunstmuseum Basel; The consecration of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose preaching, Galleria Sabauda, Turin.