Polyptychon von Andrea Vanni und Giovanni di Paolo

The Polyptych of Andrea Vanni and Giovanni di Paolo (c. 1443) represents a collaborative work from the early career of Giovanni di Paolo, painted alongside the older Sienese master Andrea Vanni. Polyptychs — multi-panel altarpieces with individual saints in separate compartments — were the standard format for major Sienese altarpieces throughout the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. This collaboration documents the workshop practices of mid-fifteenth-century Siena, where established masters and younger artists worked together on major commissions. The Sienese tradition of the polyptych survived longer than in Florence, reflecting the conservative ecclesiastical patronage of the city.

The polyptych format divides the composition into individual panels separated by carved architectural elements. Each figure occupies a gold ground space with the compressed, icon-like authority of the Sienese tradition. The paint handling combines careful tempera layering with gold tooling, reflecting the continued importance of Byzantine-derived technique.