Description
The Madonna dei Tramonti is a fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti in the left transept of the Lower Basilica of Saint Francis at Assisi. The Virgin holds the Christ Child and communicates with him through her lowered gaze and a restrained movement of the hand. The original composition also includes Saint Francis and Saint John the Evangelist on either side, although the reproduction used here shows only its central detail. Gold ground, haloes and dark blue mantle preserve the sacred character of the image.
Probably painted between 1320 and 1330, the work is remarkable for the natural expressions and affection shared by mother and son. Its position beneath the great Crucifixion creates a connection between Christ’s childhood and his later Passion. The traditional nickname is associated with the evening sunlight that once reached this part of the church. Despite visible losses of paint, the fresco still reveals Lorenzetti’s exceptional narrative sensitivity.
