Ghirlandaio

Domenico Ghirlandaio

Domenico Ghirlandaio is the pseudonymous of Florence native Domenico Bigordi (1449-1494). The artist was influenced by Giotto, Masaccio, Andrea del Castagno and Verrocchio, and is known for the precise lines and realism of his paintings.

Among his pupils was one of the most iconic artists of the Renaissance: Michelangelo. The background of this last supper fresco features lemon trees, symbol of salvation. Lemon was in fact considered to be a potent antidote for venoms.

In the Christian tradition the image of the plant is often associated with that of the Virgin Mary, not only because of the sweet fragrance, pleasant shape and bright colour of the fruit, but also because of its innumerable medicinal properties, certainly not the least of which are its being an antidote for venoms, salvific