The San Pietro Polyptych (Italian: ''Polittico di San Pietro'') is a

polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Some definitions restrict "polyptych" to works with more than three sections: a diptych is ...

by Italian Renaissance master

Perugino Pietro Perugino ( ; ; born Pietro Vannucci or Pietro Vanucci; – 1523), an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael became his most famous ...

, painted around 1496–1500. The panels are now in different locations: the

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

and the central panel, depicting the ''Ascension of Christ'', are in the

Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (, ) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. Located near the Place des Terreaux, it is housed in a former Benedictine convent which was active during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was res ...

, France.

Description

The

had been originally commissioned for the Abbey of San Pietro at

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

, the contract having been signed by Perugino on 8 March 1495. It included a large altarpiece and several panels, within a wooden frame by Domenico da Verona. The altarpiece, depicting the ''Ascension of Christ'', was to have a lunette with the ''God in Glory between Angels'' above it, while the

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

had not been exactly defined. The payment was 500 golden ducats, and no more than two years and a half were given to complete the work. The panels were painted between January 1496 and the end of 1499, and the work was solemnly inaugurated on 13 January 1500. Contemporary art historian

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

considered the predella Perugino's best work in his home city. In 1591 the church's choir was radically restored, and the altar had to be dismantled. After the religious suppressions of 1797, the work was acquired by the French, and was divided among several French museums, although several panels remained in Perugia or went to Papal collections in Rome.

Description

The

cymatium Cymatium (from Greek κυμάτιον "small wave"), the uppermost molding at the top of the cornice in the classical order, is made of the s-shaped cyma molding (either ''cyma recta'' or ''cyma reversa''), combining a concave cavetto with a con ...

was separated from the main panel by a frame, in the same way as the Vallombrosa Altarpiece. At the sides were two columns which supported the frame arch and which, at the bases, were decorated with three small panels with Saints, sharing the same background. The polyptych included the following panels: *''Ascension'' (280 × 216 cm), now at the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. This work was almost entirely copied by Perugino and his workshop for the later Sansepolcro Altarpiece. The Vallombrosa Altarpiece also used a similar composition, in turn inspired by the now lost ''Assumption'' in the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...

. *''God in Glory'' lunette (114 × 230 cm), now in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. It represents God in a cloud in the sky, surrounded by

cherubim A cherub (; : cherubim; ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'') is one type of supernatural being in the Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles, such as protecting the entrance of the Garden o ...

and

seraphim A seraph ( ; pl.: ) is a Angelic being, celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Christian angelology and ...

, and two symmetrical angels at the side. *Tondoes of ''Jeremiah'' and ''Isaiah'' (both 127 cm in diameter), now in the Musée des beaux-arts of

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

*''Adoration of the Magi'' (predella panel, 32 × 59 cm). Now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts of

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

. *''Baptism of Christ'' (predella panel, 32 × 59 cm). Now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts of

. *''Resurrection'' (predella panel, 32 × 59 cm). Now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Rouen. *''St. Herculanus'' and ''St. Constantius'' (predella panels, 32 × 38 cm). Now in the

Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria The Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria ( English: National Gallery of Umbria) the Italian national paintings collection of Umbria, housed in the Palazzo dei Priori, Perugia, in central Italy. Located on the upper floors of the Palazzo dei Priori, the ...

. *''St. Maurus'', ''St. Peter ad Vincula'', ''St. Scholastica'', ''St. Benedict'', ''St. Flavia'' and ''St. Placidus'' (panels at the columns base, various sizes). Now in the

at Perugia and the

Pinacoteca Vaticana The Vatican Museums (; ) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the best-known Roman sculptures and ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Sources

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
* {{Pietro Perugino 1490s paintings Paintings by Pietro Perugino Paintings of Jesus Paintings of the Virgin Mary Angels in art Musical instruments in art Polyptychs Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon Paintings in the Musée d'Arts de Nantes Perug God the Father in art