Three Saints
Pietro Lorenzetti·1315
Historical Context
This panel of Three Saints by Pietro Lorenzetti, dating to around 1315, likely formed part of a polyptych altarpiece, a format that became increasingly popular in Italian Gothic churches during the early Trecento. Pietro was then emerging as one of Siena's leading painters, developing a style that combined the spatial innovations he absorbed from Giotto's work with the refined colorism of his Sienese heritage. Now at the Museo Horne in Florence, this work reflects the growing market for elaborate multi-panel altarpieces commissioned by churches, confraternities, and wealthy patrons across Tuscany.
Technical Analysis
Executed in tempera and gold on panel, the three standing saints are rendered with the volumetric solidity and individualized features that distinguish Pietro's work from earlier Sienese painting. The gold ground and decorative punch work in the haloes demonstrate the refined craftsmanship expected in Trecento Sienese panel painting.
