MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON, RETURNS EMBROIDERED PANEL

THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON, HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS RETURNED TO THE MUSEO DIOCESANO TRIDENTINO (DIOCESAN MUSEUM OF TRENT, ITALY) AN EMBROIDERED PANEL, THE ENTOMBMENT OF SAINT VIGILIUS, FROM AROUND 1390-91. COMMISSIONED BY GEORGE OF LIECHTENSTEIN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS APPOINTMENT AS BISHOP PRINCE OF TRENT IN 1390, THE EMBROIDERY DEPICTS THE ENTOMBMENT OF SAINT VIGILIUS, THE THIRD BISHOP AND PATRON SAINT OF TRENT, AND THE DELIVERY OF THE NEWS OF HIS MARTYRDOM TO THE POPE AND EMPEROR THEODOSIUS. THE PROCESS OF RETURNING THE PANEL TO TEH MUSEO DIOCESANO BEGAN WHEN THE MFA LEARNED THAT THE WORK WAS PART OF THE SAINT VIGILIUS SERIES OF EMBROIDERED PANELS OWNED BY THE MUSEO. IN CELEBRATION OF ITS RETURN, THE MUSEO WILL UNVEIL THE EMBROIDERY AT A SPECIAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION IN TRENT, WHEN THE WORK WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE EXHIBITION 'GUIDED BY A STAR: THE LONG JOURNEY OF THE MAGI'. THE MFA PURCHASED THE EMBROIDERY IN 1946 FROM AN ITALIAN ART DEALER IN NEW YORK WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF ITS SUBJECT MATTER OR PROVENANCE. PRIOR TO THE ACQUISITION, CURATORIAL STAFF INQUIRED ABOUT ITS HISTORY AND WERE ONLY TOLD THAT A PREVIOUS OWNER HAD INHERITED IT ALONG WITH A LARGE COLLECTION OF OTHER ANTIQUE OBJECTS. THE MUSEUM HAD NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ITS PROVENANCE UNTIL 2008, WHEN DR EVELIN WETTER OF THE ABEGG-STIFTUNG CONTACTED THE MFA, INDICATING THAT THE PANEL WAS ONCE PART OF THE SAINT VIGILIUS SERIES. CURATORIAL RESEARCH BY THE MFA CONFIRMED THAT THE PANEL DID BELONG TO THAT SERIES. IN JUNE 2008, THE MFA CONTACTED THE MUSEO DIOCESANO TO INITIATE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ITS RETURN, WHICH CONCLUDED IN APRIL 2010 WITH THE SIGNING OF AN AGREEMENT BY THE MFA, THE ARCHDIOCESE OF TRENT AND THE MUSEO DIOCESANO. THE TRANSFER FROM BOSTON TO TRENT IN NOVEMBER 2010 HAS ALLOWED FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NARRATIVE CYCLE OF THE LIFE OF SAINT VIGILIUS. THE SET OF EMBROIDERIES IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO THE TRENT REGION FOR ITS HISTORIC SUBJECT MATTER AND ITS ARTISTIC RARITY.