Tarlati Polyptych

The Tarlati Polyptych by Pietro Lorenzetti, dating to around 1320, was commissioned by the powerful Tarlati family for the church of Santa Maria della Pieve in Arezzo, one of Tuscany's important medieval cities. This major altarpiece commission established Pietro's reputation beyond Siena and demonstrated his ability to work on a monumental scale. The polyptych format—with its multiple panels arranged in an architectural frame—was the dominant form of Italian Gothic altarpiece, and Pietro's version at Arezzo set a new standard for the integration of individual panels into a unified devotional program.

Painted in tempera and gold on multiple wooden panels within an elaborate carved and gilded frame, the polyptych displays Pietro's mature style with its synthesis of Giottesque volume and Sienese decorative refinement. The individual saints and narrative scenes are unified by consistent scale, palette, and the rhythmic interplay between figural forms.