Scenes from a Legend
probably c. 1515/1520
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 41.9 cm (11 x 16 1/2 in.) framed (upper left canvas, framed with 1939.1.344.a and .c): 86.52 x 114.3 x 9.21 cm (34 1/16 x 45 x 3 5/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1939.1.344.b
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This captivating small-scale painting, *Scenes from a Legend*, was created around 1515–1520 by the Florentine artist Giovanni Larciani, also known as the Master of the Kress Landscapes. Working in oil on canvas during the height of the Italian Renaissance, Larciani specialized in richly detailed natural settings that earned him his distinctive nickname. The modest size—roughly 11 by 16½ inches—suggests it may have formed part of a larger decorative ensemble or private commission, inviting close, intimate viewing. The work exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with storytelling, where multiple episodes from a single narrative unfold across a unified landscape. Larciani’s luminous skies, winding paths, and atmospheric depth draw the eye through the scene, blending human drama with the natural world in a manner typical of early sixteenth-century Florentine painting. Such panels often adorned furniture or small devotional spaces, making art an everyday encounter with history and myth. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s Samuel H. Kress Collection, this painting preserves the delicate balance of narrative clarity and poetic landscape that defined Larciani’s contribution to Renaissance visual culture.
About the Artist
Giovanni Larciani (Master of the Kress Landscapes) (Italian) · 1484 –1527
Italian, 1484–1527