In an attempt to thwart the prophecy about christ's rise to power, king herod orders his soldiers to kill all the male infants under the age of two living in bethlehem. They do this with ruthless efficiency. Bartolo's color scheme uses naturalistic details to enhance the drama of the scene. Note the contrast between the rosy coloring of the infants who are still alive and the green pallor of those already dead. This painting, which is beautifully preserved, was part of a monumental altarpiece commissioned for the church of san agostino in san gimignano and was placed atop a large painting of the presentation in the temple now in the museé du louvre, paris. The massacre of the innocents might have been executed by both bartolo and andrea (active 1389-1428), working collaboratively as a father and son team. Date: circa 1380 (Middle Ages). Place of creation: San Gimignano. Dimensions: height: 89.2 cm (35.1 in); width: 129.8 cm (51.1 in); depth: 3.5 cm (1.3 in); Visible painted surface height: 85 cm (33.4 in); width: 126 cm (49.6 in); Panel height: 85.4 cm (33.6 in); width: 125.5 cm (49.4 in). Medium: tempera and gold leaf on panel. Collection: Walters Art Museum. Andrea di Bartolo - Massacre of the Innocents - Walters 371018
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