Marc Mannheimer's "The Death of Savonarola".

“I wanted the work to be seen and our library is a logical location as the work is of Haverhill. It has only previously been seen in Gallery shows of my work,” says Mannheimer.

The 144 x 24 inch painting is titled “The Death of Savonarola”. Mannheimer says he was inspired while walking across the Comeau Bridge. It is on loan indefinitely to the Bentley library.

“This work captures the railroad bridge from Bradford to Haverhill over the Merrimack River at slack tide, around 6 a.m. I had recently returned from Florence, Italy. As I was walking across the old bridge to Haverhill. I looked across at the railroad bridge and when seeing the distant smoke from the paperboard factory thought of the burning at-the-stake of Savonarola for heresy in 1498. This took place in Piazza Vecchio in Florence, the spot of which is still designated by a large, bronze plaque.”

The old Haverhill Paperboard factory has since been razed.

Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar and preacher active in Renaissance, Florence and known for his prophecies of civic glory and calls for Christian renewal. He was condemned, hanged and burned in the main square of Florence for heresy.

Limited edition, signed & numbered prints, [10” x 41″] of the painting are available through the artist at mcclump@verizon.net