Chigi Retablo

The Chigi Retablo from 1506, an altarpiece commissioned for the church of Sant'Agostino in Città di Castello, connects Perugino to the Chigi family, one of the most powerful banking dynasties in early sixteenth-century Italy. The Chigi were among the most active art patrons of the High Renaissance — Agostino Chigi's Villa Farnesina in Rome was being decorated by Raphael during precisely these years — and their patronage of Perugino reflects the range of artistic tastes within a single great family. The commission demonstrates that Perugino continued attracting major patrons despite the rise of a new generation of artists, valued for the devotional authority and technical assurance he had built over a career spanning four decades.

The multi-figure altarpiece is organized with Perugino's characteristic clarity and balance. The figures are arranged hierarchically within an architectural framework appropriate to the altarpiece format. His mature handling is fully confident, with the smooth modeling and clear color that mark his best work.