The name Master of the Campana Cassoni originates from a 1976 article by Federico Zeri, in which the scholar reconstructed the artistic personality of this painter, describing him as being from “the other side of the Alps”. The name is derived from four wood panels which at the time of naming the artist, were believed to be decorations for cassoni or wedding chests. They are currently conserved along with the entire Campana Collection at the Musée du Petit Palais in Avignon. Another important scholar who came to a similar conclusion as Zeri, also in 1976, was Everett Fahy. Recently, Annamaria Bernacchioni proposed recognizing Antonio di Jacopo Gallo, a French painter, as the anonymous Master of the Campana Cassoni.

Antonio was documented as being in Florence between 1503 and 1527, a chronological period that would match Master Campana’s production and stylistic influences. In the meantime, the master’s catalogue has increased considerably, which has contributed to a better comprehension of his stylistic development. Two dates are certain: 1519 for the altarpiece of Montebicchieri (at the Museo Diocesano di San Miniato al Tedesco, Pisa) and 1522-1525 for the predella of the altar of the Oratorio del Loretino, in the Comune di San Miniato. If we consider the fairytale-esque, gothic style buildings of the Frascione painting, the French origin of the anonymous painter seems certain. The link between this painting and another of the same subject now at the Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge (Inv. 1962-288) is unquestionable, although the one in Boston has a more naïve tone. The state of preservation of the Frascione painting is excellent and one can fully observe all of the artist’s technique and stylistic qualities, which are evident in the background with its fairy-tale landscape, the swollen eyes of some of the figures, and the stereotypical faces reminiscent of the master himself. The Frascione Nativity has strong similarities not only with the Fogg Museum’s painting, but also with other paintings from around 1515, like those in the Gerini Collection in Florence and the Stössel collection in Zurich, or even the Signorini Corsi paintings in L’Aquila. The Frascione composition can be dated to the middle of the second decade of the 16th century, a proposal supported by the highlighting and chromatic features of the painting (in particular the landscape and the forest). This is a clear reference to paintings by Piero di Cosimo, an indispensable model for Florentine painters

in the first decades of the century. In terms of composition, the painting clearly references Domenico Ghirlandaio and Lorenzo di Credi. The Frascione painting reveals an artist who was able to quite thoroughly assess the most important artists of his time who were working in Florence and emulate what he had learned with a unique, personal style.