User:SLamppi02/Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Lipo Memmi)

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The Triumph of St Thomas Aquinas is a painting by the Italian medieval artist Lippo Memmi, dating likely to 1323, when the former Dominican friar was canonized. It is displayed in the church of Santa Caterina in Pisa, a church once belonging to the Dominican order. The mediums that was used to create this painting are tempera on panel.

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The painting is a complex arrangement exalting the role of Thomas Aquinas as a scholar of religious knowledge, his placement among the Four Evangelists and philosophers. In the center of the panel, the largest figure is the seated tonsured monk St Thomas Aquinas, below a Christ inside a mandorla. Linear rays tie his work to the Four Evangelists and Moses and St Paul above the gilded circle. Flanking him are Aristotle and Plato.

'''This work has been falsely attributed to Francesco Traini and Taddeo Gaddi in the past, however now it is attributed to Lipo Memmi. The book that St. Thomas Aquinas holds includes''' the quote from Proverbs 8:7, which he used to introduce his Summa contra gentiles."'Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and the Spirit of Wisdom came to me. I preferred her before sceptres and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.'"Below the feet of Aquinas is a dejected Averroes, horizontal and looks away with book inverted. The guide provides a long elaboration of the lower figures, but careful examination fails to identify many of the attributes described. The figures likely represent monks and nuns of the Catholic orders, inspired by the words of Aquinas.

'''The concentric circles that are surrounding St. Thomas are reminiscent of the medieval idea of the universe. Each layer represents the four elements of the universe thought of at the time: earth, water, fire, and air. The cosmos, stars, and planets take up the outermost blue layer. '''

'''One of the main motifs of this piece are the golden rays emanating from Christ's mouth, from the books being held by the evangelists, from the books held by Aristotle and Plato, and from the book held by Thomas Aquinas. These rays symbolize the passing of divine wisdom from the ultimate source, Christ, whose rays point towards the four evangelists. Then the books of the evangelists and of the Greek philosophers show golden rays that go to Thomas's head, where the book that he holds emanates rays that spread to the other religious figures at the bottom of the panel. These golden rays show that the wisdom that Thomas acquires are gathered from the testimonies of the four evangelists and from Greek philosophy, where Thomas synthesizes that information and shares it with the rest of the church. '''