THE MADONNA AS PROTECTRESS OF SIENA WITH SAINT BERNARDINO AND SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA SURROUNDED BY ANGELS, THE SKYLINE OF SIENA WITH THE TORRE DI MANGIA AND THE CUPOLA OF THE DUOMO BELOW

THIS IS A FULLY WORKED OUT DRAWING WHICH CANNOT BE RELATED TO ANY OF VANNI'S SURVIVING PAINTINGS OR FRESCOES. A SKETCH OF THE SAME COMPOSITION, FROM THE COLLECTION OF PADRE RESTA, IS IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK (FIG. 1), J. BEAN AND F. STAMPFLE, DRAWINGS FROM NEW YORK COLLECTIONS, I, THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE, EXHIB. CAT., NEW YORK, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, 1965, NO. 151, ILLUSTRATED.
AS SIR JOHN SUGGESTED, THESE DRAWINGS COULD BE IN PREPARATION OF A SIENESE BICCHERNA PANEL. ORIGINALLY THESE WERE MADE AS COVERS FOR THE FINANCIAL RECORDS OF THE CITY OF SIENA BUT LATER WERE CONCEIVED AS INDEPENDENT WORKS OF ART TO COMMEMORATE THE TERMS OF OFFICE OF MUNICIPAL COMPTROLLERS. THE METROPOLITAN SHEET INCLUDES SEVERAL STUDIES OF HERALDIC EMBLEMS WHICH COULD RELATE TO THE COAT-OF-ARMS OF SUCH A COMPTROLLER.
VANNI MADE AT LEAST ONE BICCHERNA PANEL, REPRESENTING THE MADONNA OF PROVENZANO WITH SAINT BERNARDINO AND SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, J. BEAN AND L. TURCIC OP. CIT., P. 257.