DESIGN FOR AN ALTARPIECE: EIGHT SAINTS AND THE HOLY TRINITY SURROUNDING THE EMPTY FRAME OF AN EARLY IMAGE OF THE VIRGIN

THIS IS A DESIGN FOR AN ALTARPIECE WHICH WOULD CONTAIN AN EARLIER IMAGE, SUCH AS A MEDIEVAL REPRESENTATION OF THE MADONNA. IT IS PROBABLY NOT RELATED TO VANNI'S ALTARPIECE IN SAN NICCOLò AL CARMINE, SIENA, OF 1595, IN WHICH AN EARLY IMAGE OF THE MADONNA IS INSERTED. THIS PICTURE SHOWS ONLY FOUR SAINTS, AND SO ANY CONNECTION REMAINS HYPOTHETICAL. ANOTHER DRAWING, IN THE LOUVRE, SHOWS A SIMILAR COMPOSITION, BUT IS, ACCORDING TO PROFESSOR RIEDL (OP. CIT., P. 92), NEITHER RELATED TO THE CARMINE ALTARPIECE NOR TO THE PRESENT DRAWING, F. VIATTE, OP. CIT., NO. 521, ILLUSTRATED.
ALTARPIECES INCORPORATING MEDIEVAL IMAGES WERE FREQUENT IN LATE 16TH AND EARLY 17TH CENTURY SIENA. THE PRESENT DESIGN WAS CERTAINLY DESTINED FOR A CHURCH IN THE SIENESE TERRITORY, POSSIBLY FOR A FRANCISCAN CHURCH, AS IT SEEMS TO REPRESENT THREE SAINTS FROM THAT ORDER. THE SAINTS SHOWN IN THE DRAWING ARE FRANCIS, CATHERINE OF SIENA AND MARY MAGDALEN, CECILIA, CLARE (?), ANTHONY OF PADUA (?), SAN GIMIGNANO (?), AND ANOTHER MALE SAINT.