"Saul, on the Road To Damascus, Receives the First Unsolicited Pop-up Ad"
Tommy Di Luca
Tommy Di Luca, aka Tommy D, Tommy No-Toes and Icepick Tommy, was part of the Di Luca art family which virtually ruled Siena's cultural scene in the 14th century, having completely eliminated competition from the Lorenzetti and Tegliacci families by 1328. Reported as having a fearsome tempera, Di Luca and his enforcers flooded churches in Tuscany with panel paintings and altarpieces featuring saints and Biblical incidents, many of which were liberally appliquéd with gold leaf of dubious origin.
Having saturated the market by 1370, Di Luca tried to branch out into other areas such as murals, but was frustrated by the fact that churches and monasteries had only a limited number of walls. He also was concerned about trespassing on the turf of his brother Alfonso, who had been given the Tuscan fresco territory by Don Guiseppi, an art padrone so heartless that he once cut off the city of Florence's supply of turpentine in a fit of pique.
Di Luca eventually turned to advertising as a way of milking more revenue from his clients. In addition to the work shown here he was also responsible for the "No More Tears Baptism of St. John" and the "Original Ginsu Starter Set" version of Domenichino's "The Flaying of Marsyas."
