Restoration completed in 2016 thanks to funding from the Boston Chapter of Save Venice. This painting was previously restored by Save Venice in 1974.

Michele Giambono, born Michele Giovanni Boni around 1400, lived and worked as a mosaicist and painter in Venice until his death in 1462. His altarpiece depicting Saint Chrysogonus on Horseback, painted for the church of San Trovaso, exemplifies the decorative richness and courtly manner of the International Gothic style.

Saint Chrysogonus (Crisogono in Italian) was martyred during the Roman emperor Diocletian’s reign in the third century in the mainland city of Aquileia, not far from the Venetian lagoon. Set against a gilded sky and the thick foliage of a forest, the saint is depicted as a crusader riding a richly caparisoned white horse. He wears a full suit of armor and carries a spear and a shield inscribed with the emblem of Christ’s name. As his horse strides forward, Chrysogonus’ brocade cloak is tossed into the air, dramatically displaying its intricate pattern to the viewer.

More than forty years had passed since Save Venice funded the restoration of this work in 1974. The fragile wooden painting and frame were suffering from an active infestation of tarli, a wood boring insect commonly found in Venice, as well as from cracks and vast areas of flaking paint and gilding. In addition, a thick layer of surface dust and grime, darkened varnishes, and alterations of color from previous restorations all contributed to the distortion of the pictorial surface, dimming the vibrancy of the artist’s original colors.

Thanks to the successful conservation campaign of this painting and its frame from 2015 to 2016, these striking details and brilliant colors have been restored and can once again be admired by the church’s parishioners and visitors alike.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Michele Giambono (c. 1400–1462)
Saint Chrysogonus on Horseback
1446, tempera on wood panel
199 x 134 cm