Saint Augustine and the Toothache

Benozzo Gozzoli

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by Benozzo Gozzoli. The drawing shows a man in a monks habit seated to the left of the composition, in a rural landscape. The man appears to be sitting cross-legged with his left knee slightly raised, and he has his left hand held against his jaw. To the right are three figures; a male figure stands closest to the centre looking towards the seated man with his arms reaching down towards him, a woman behind this man stands with her hands clasped in prayer, and to the right of both of these figures another woman is kneeling in prayer and facing towards the left. In the right background the shape of another figure is vaguely sketched in. Behind the seated man is a tree and in the left background are fields with mountains beyond. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "No. 5 BENOZZO GOZZOLI (b. 1420; d. after 1497) STORY OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND THE TOOTHACHE Colelction of Mr. Charles Loeser, Florence. (From the Richardson, jun., Lawrence, and Esdaile Collections.) Pen and bistre. 9.8 x 13.3 cm. (3 7/8 x 5 1/4 in.) The saint is seated on the ground in a garden with his left hand raised to his face; near him to the right are three figures, two of women praying, one of a man in long Roman robes extending to his right hand in surprise as a book (very lightly sketched) descends from the sky into the lap of the saint. Farther off to the right is another figure of a woman barely outlined. Behind the principal figures, an open hilly landscape. At foot an inscription (partly illegible) explains: 'come santo aughustino a pie di un ficho in un orto gli uenne vn grande dolor di denti a modo che no(n) poteua parlare ... preghate idio per me (?). Venne vn libro da cielo ...' In the reproduction the work 'come' at the beginning is confused by the capitals T. L. impressed as the mark of the Lawrence collection. The sequel of the inscription, which no doubt farther explained the miracle, has been cut off. The design, daintily sketched in the artist's characteristic manner, was intended to serve among the long series of anecdote illustrations to the life of the saint which Gozzoli carried out in the choir of the church dedicated to him at San Gimignano; for some reason the subject has been omitted, but the composition was slightly changed to represent St. Augustine moved by a voice from heaven, while reading St. Paul in the presence of his friend Alipius. ... S. C."