The San Pietro Polyptych (Italian: ''Polittico di San Pietro'') is a polyptych by Italian Renaissance master

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

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

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...

and the central panel, depicting the ''Ascension of Christ'', are in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, France.

Description

The polyptych had been originally commissioned for the Abbey of San Pietro at

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

, 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 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 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 into several French museums, although several panels remained in Perugia or went to Papal collections in Rome.

Description

The cymatium was separated by the main panel by a frame, in the same way of the

Vallombrosa Altarpiece The ''Vallombrosa Altarpiece'' is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Pietro Perugino, dating to 1500–01. It is housed in the Accademia Gallery of Florence, Italy. Description The painting was commissioned to Perugino for the hi ...

. At the sides were two columns which supported the frame arch and which, at the bases, were decorated by 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 ''Ascension of Christ'' (also known as ''Sansepolcro Altarpiece''; Italian: ''Pala di Sansepolcro'') is a painting by Italian Renaissance master Perugino, dating from around 1510. It is housed in the Cathedral of Sansepolcro, Tuscany, central ...

. The

also used a similar composition, in turn inspired by the now lost ''Assumption'' in the Sistine Chapel. *''God in Glory'' lunette (114 × 230 cm), now at the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. It represents God in a cloud in the sky, surrounded by

cherubim A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...

s and

seraphim A seraph (, "burning one"; plural seraphim ) is a type of celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Chris ...

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

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

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

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

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

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

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

Pinacoteca Vaticana The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) 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 ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Sources

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
* {{Pietro Perugino 1490s paintings Paintings by Pietro Perugino Paintings depicting 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