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| Altarpiece of the Misericordia in its entirity, Wiki Commons |
The Polyptych of the Misericordia is one of the
earliest works of the Italian Renaissance master Piero della Francesca's,
located in the Pinacoteca Comunale of Sansepolcro. The central panel is of the
common motif of the Virgin of Mercy. The Madonna della Misericordia or
Virgin of Mercy is a traditional motif in Christian art, which displays the
Virgin Mary with an outstretched mantle. In the image, she uses her mantle to
protect her worshippers. The Compagnia della Misericordia, a confraternity of
Borgo San Sepolcro, commissioned this piece in 1445. They commissioned Piero, a native of the town, to paint a
polyptych for them.
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| Close-up of the Misericordia, Wiki Commons |
This particular style was odd for the time in
that the style goes back to the Proto-Renaissance, a period which many artists
during Piero’s time had been moving away from. In actuality, the style of this
piece was not only Piero’s, but also that of the conservative Compagnia. In
fact, it is the confraternity that stipulated the golden background and that the
multi-part altarpiece be created in retrograde style.
The hierarchal scale of the Madonna dominates
the central panel and aims to create a comfort between the figure and the
viewer. In actuality, the figure seems displeased and abrasive. Her blue mantel
is a common symbol of the Virgin, representing the color of the heavens. At her
feet, eight figures crowd around, kneeling in reverence, displaying Piero’s
portrait-like style. Among these figures, kneels one member of the misericordia,
his identity is concealed by the black-hooded uniform of the confraternity. The oldest two panels, to the left of the main panel,
depict St. Sebastian and St. John the Baptist. Towards 1450 he finished the
figures of St. Andrew and St. Bernardino. Overall, despite the piece being a
step backwards in terms of the developments in the style of the Renaissance
period, the piece is, in actuality stunning.
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