(Myslkovice 1849–1910 Venice)
“Sacristia di S. Croce, Firenze”, old title on the reverse, signed (in ligature) A. Brandeis, oil on panel, 22 x 36 cm, framed, (Rei)

In this lot, Antonietta Brandeis shows us the large sacristy of Santa Croce in Florence. The Franciscan Church of Santa Croce is one of the city’s main churches and houses a large number of tombs for important personalities. It is also famous for the beautiful contrast between its simple, spacious architecture and the opulent, brightly coloured frescoes by Giotto and Taddeo Gaddi.
Antonietta Brandeis reproduces the interior of the sacristy with great attention to detail and a sense of colour and atmosphere. On the left, the image depicts the Cappella Rinuccini, whose frescoes were painted between 1363 and 1366 by Giovanni da Milano. They include scenes from the life of Mary and the life of St. Mary Magdalene. The iron fence that separates the chapel from the main room of the sacristy is also original and dates back to 1371.
The surrounding sacristy cupboards are still preserved today and date back to the fifteenth century. Brandeis does not show us the sacristy from a purely tourist-focused point of view. She also reveals it to us in its original function: as a place for the preparation of mass and the safekeeping of liturgical objects. Nevertheless, the priest in a black soutane seems to be showing a particularly beautiful monstrance to an elderly lady and a little boy, who has taken off his hat in awe.