Artwork
Maria mit Kind und den hll. Katharina von Siena, Sebastian, Franziskus, Petronius, Klara und Stifter
Maria mit Kind und den hll. Katharina von Siena, Sebastian, Franziskus, Petronius, Klara und Stifter is an unspecified painting by the High Renaissance artist Innocenzo di Pietro Francucci da Imola. It dates from 1517 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Francis of Assisi is shown with the stigmata and in the brown habit of his order, accompanied by Clare of Assisi, who carries a processional cross.
The painting centers on the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, flanked by a group of attendant saints and a lay donor. To Mary’s right stands Catherine of Siena, identifiable by her Dominican habit and the stigmata-like lily she holds, while to the left Saint Sebastian appears pierced by arrows, a traditional emblem of his martyrdom. Francis of Assisi is shown with the stigmata and in the brown habit of his order, accompanied by Clare of Assisi, who carries a processional cross. The kneeling lay figure is likely a local patron, introduced to emphasize piety and intercession.
The inclusion of Petronius of Bologna, the city’s patron saint, situates the work within Bologna’s civic and religious context, reinforcing the city’s spiritual identity. Together, the figures form a sacred conversation that underscores themes of protection, patronage, and the interplay between heavenly intercession and earthly devotion.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Innocenzo di Pietro Francucci da Imola in 1517, as recorded in both the corpus entry and the Wikidata record. It is a religious work depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child alongside Saints Catherine of Siena, Sebastian, Francis of Assisi, Petronius of Bologna, Clare of Assisi, and a donor figure. The painting is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is housed at the Alte Pinakothek.
No further details regarding its original commission, patron, or successive ownership before entering the Bavarian collection are documented in the available sources.
The painting is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It measures 291 cm in height and 230 cm in width. No specific inventory or accession number, nor any exhibition history, is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Innocenzo da Imola completed this altarpiece in 1517, depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child surrounded by a gathering of saints and a donor. Rendered in the High Renaissance manner, the painting exemplifies the era's approach to religious imagery. It was created for an ecclesiastical context, reflecting the artist's work primarily within Italy's Emilian region. This large-scale panel is now part of the collection at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
Technique & Style
This painting embodies the High Renaissance aesthetic prevalent in Italian religious art of the early 16th century. Innocenzo da Imola employed a refined compositional structure, characteristic of the period, to present a clear narrative. The work demonstrates a balance between idealized forms and a sense of solemnity, typical of altarpieces intended for public veneration. His artistic practice, centered in the Emilian region, contributed to the local development of this influential style.
Artist & collection
Artist
Innocenzo di Pietro Francucci da Imola
Innocenzo (di Pietro) Francucci (c. 1490 – c. 1550), generally known as Innocenzo da Imola, was an Italian painter and draftsman.
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