Description
The polyptych of Santa Maria della Pieve is among Pietro Lorenzetti’s most important and best documented creations. Commissioned in 1320 by Bishop Guido Tarlati for a church in Arezzo, it brings together the Virgin and Child, four prominent saints, the Annunciation, several pairs of sacred figures and the Assumption of the Virgin. Its stepped panels, gilded arches and soaring pinnacles transform painting into an architectural structure intended for an altar.
At the centre Mary holds the Child and engages him through exceptionally tender gestures and glances. Saint Donatus, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Matthew occupy the main side panels. Gold grounds and elaborately patterned fabrics display Sienese refinement, while the figures possess convincing physical presence. Although the predella and part of the original framework have disappeared, the ensemble retains its monumental impact in the church for which it was made.
