Scenes from the Life of Saint Zenobius

Scenes from the Life of Saint Zenobius is a series of paintings by the Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli.

[5] It is generally agreed that the paintings come from the last phase of Botticelli's career, perhaps c. 1500–1505; some authorities regard them as possibly the artist's latest surviving works.

[6] The New York panel shows: at left Zenobius encounters the funeral procession of a youth, and restores him to life.

At right a sub-deacon called Eugenius (who also became a saint) is shown three times: in the bishop's palace interior Zenobius gives him a cup of salt and water, which he carries and then administers to a female relative who had died without receiving the Last Rites, which brings her back to life.

[11] The somewhat stark style of the panels, with contorted figures in anguish and an interest in the architectural backgrounds, is typical of Botticelli's last years.

[12] The drawing of the largely nude figure of Zenobius being baptized has weaknesses, with an arm too puny for the torso and a strange foot.

Botticelli has grasped the Roman style so effectively that it is suspected he may have visited Rome since Nero's Golden House was rediscovered around 1480, perhaps for the Holy Year of 1500.

In the London panel with the earlier life, the rich building at right represents both an early Florence Cathedral in the baptism and Old Saint Peter's for the consecration by the Pope.

The modern elements in the men's costume, especially the "gold-embroidered peaked hats with contrasting turned-up or turban-shaped crowns" of the upper-class figures, are rather out of date for 1500.

It was claimed by C. F. von Rumohr, a German writer, in 1827 that they came from a Compagnia di San Zenobio attached to Florence Cathedral.

A possible patron was Francesco di Zanobi Girolami (1441–1515), whose brother commissioned the written Life of Zenobius by Fra Clemente Mazza in 1475.

The Girolami family claimed descent from Zenobius' father, had what was said to be his episcopal ring, and had created two chapels dedicated to him.