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Saints Cosmas and Damian

Saints Cosmas and Damian
Dosso Dossi (Giovanni di Nicolò Luteri, Tramuschio ?, 1487 circa – Ferrara, 1542) Saints Cosmas and Damian Third decade of the 17th century — Oil on canvas — Galleria Borghese, inv. 22

Commissioned from Dosso for the Hospital of Sant’Anna in Ferrara, the painting was sent in 1608 as a gift to Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The highly original composition shows Saints Cosmas and Damian, who, according to legend, were twins and doctors. One is holding a surgical instrument, the other a glass, whose contents they seem to be checking and consulting with their eyes. At their feet is a semi-reclining sick man with his back turned, similar to some of the characters depicted in the Aeneas cycle, while on the right a female figure faces the viewer. In the abstract atmosphere, the sculptural quality of the figures shines through, softly rendered through the typical application of glazes.

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