Works of Art Removed from

San Domenico 

Head of a young man (early 14th century)

This fine architectural fragment , which is now in the Museo Capitolare, came from San Domenico.  The art historian Valentino Martinelli attributed it to Giovanni Pisano and suggested that it once belonged to a capital, perhaps from the nave.  

Madonna and Child (ca. 1308)

The earliest secure reference to this important panel dates to the 19th century, when it was in the Convento di San Domenico, near the door leading to the sacristy of the church.  It was moved to the Galleria Nazionale (Room 2) in 1863.  Bernard Berenson attributed it to Duccio Buoninsegna in 1897, and this attribution has never subsequently been questioned. 

A recent restoration has revealed that it was originally the central panel of a polyptych: this would have been one of the first polyptychs in Umbria.   The commission was broadly contemporary with that of Duccio's polyptych for the Dominicans of Siena (ca. 1306).  The naturalistic representation of the figures is closely related to that in Duccio’s famous Maestà (1308-11) from the Duomo, Siena.

The altarpiece was commissioned at around the time that work began on San Domenico, and it seems likely that this prestigious altarpiece was intended for its high altar.  It must have been housed, at least for a time, in either San Stefano del Castellare or San Domenico Vecchio.

Portable triptych (ca. 1380)

This small devotional triptych, which is attributed to Jacopo di Mino del Pellicciaio, was moved from the convent to the Galleria Nazionale (Room 4) in 1863.  The panel on the right depicts St Elizabeth of Hungary, who had been canonised in San Domenico in 1235.

Madonna and Child (early 15th century)

The earliest surviving documentation that securely relates to this panel dates to 1861, when it was in the chapel of the Novitiate, inside the convent.  Nevertheless, it is universally accepted to be the “very beautiful panel” that, according to Giorgio Vasari, Gentile da Fabriano painted for San Domenico.  It has been cropped at the sides and cut down at the top, and was clearly originally the central panel of a triptych or polyptych with a trefoil frame.  The fact that Vasari mentioned only this panel suggests that the work had already been broken up by the 16th century.  Nothing is known of its other components.

The panel is usually accepted to date from the period in which Gentile lived in Venice, from ca. 1402 until ca. 1414.  If this is correct, the work must have been one of the first examples of what we call International Gothic art to appear in Perugia.

Work began on the stained glass windows of the apse in 1414, and it is tempting to assume that the triptych or polyptych was placed on the high altar at about this time.  It is now in the Galleria Nazionale (Room 6).

Guidalotti Polyptych (ca. 1447)

This polyptych was first documented in 1548 in a description of the Cappella di San Nicolò, which belonged to the Guidalotti family.  This description noted that Elisabetta Guidalotti had decorated the chapel and identified Fra Angelico as the painter of the altarpiece.   Elisabetta’s efforts in the chapel, and in particular the commission of an altarpiece from such a noted Florentine artist, were certainly intended to help restore the prestige of her family after its disgrace following its part in the murder of Biordo Michelotti in 1398. 

A 17th century document records that the altarpiece was commissioned in 1437, although modern art historians generally date it on stylistic grounds to the 1440s.  The figure of St Nicholas of Bari seems to be a portrait of Pope Nicholas V, Fra Angelico's friend and patron who was elected in 1448 and for whom Fra Angelico painted frescoes (1448-9) in similar style in what became known as the Cappellla Niccolina of the Vatican.  It has been suggested that he painted this polyptych in late 1447, after his work in the Cappella Nuova of the Duomo, Orvieto and before his arrival in Rome. 

Although the chapel was undamaged when the vaults in the nave collapsed in 1614, the polyptych seems to have been removed soon after.  The predella was displayed separately from the rest of the work by the early 18th century, when both parts were in the sacristy.  Most of the panels escaped requisition in the Napoleonic period, but the three panels from the predella confiscated:

• Dominique-Vivant Denon, the Director of the Musée Napoleon (later the Musée du Louvre) selected two of them in 1810, and they were duly shipped to Paris.  Antonio Canova recovered them in 1815, when they were secured for the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome.

• Agostino Tofanelli, the Dirctor of the Museo Capitolino, selected the third and took it with him to Rome in 1812.   It was returned to San Domenico in 1817.   
  

The panels in San Domenico were moved to the Galleria Nazionale (Room 8) in 1860.  They were assembled in a new frame in 1915, together with copies of the missing predella panels. 

Madonna and Child with angels (ca. 1450)

This altarpiece is attributed to Benedetto Bonfigli and probably dates to the period immediately before his visit to Rome in 1450.  Given its size, it was probably an independent altarpiece rather than the central panel of a polyptych.  Like many works in San Domenico, it was probably removed from its original location after the collapse of the vaulting of the nave in 1614.  It is now in the Galleria Nazionale (Room 14).

Adoration of the Magi (1466)

This altarpiece was first recorded in 1548 in the Cappella dei Magi, at the junction of the left transept and the nave.  The merchant, Nicolò di Gasparo di Lello commissioned the chapel in 1464-6, and it seems likely that he also commissioned this altarpiece for its altar.  It was one of two altarpieces in San Domenico that Giorgio Vasari attributed to Benedetto Bonfigli.

Like many works in San Domenico, the altarpiece was probably removed from its original location after the collapse of the vaulting of the nave in 1614.  It was recorded in the convent in 1683 and in the church in 1712.  Although it was listed among the works to be sent to the Musei Capitolini, Rome in 1812, it was subsequently decided that it should remain in the church.  It passed to the Galleria Nazionale (Room 14) in 1863.

Panels from a Polyptych (1467-8)

Giorgio Vasari referred in 1568 to two altarpieces in San Domenico by Benedetto Bonfigli, one of which depicted the Adoration of the Magi (see above) and the other of which depicted "many saints".  This second altarpiece was probably associated with a payment made to Benedetto Bonfigli and Bartolomeo Caporali in 1467-8 according to the will of a merchant, Francesco di Pietro for an altarpiece for the Cappella di San Vicenzo Ferrer (the 2nd on the left in the nave).  Four panels that were moved to the Galleria Nazionale from the sacristy in 1863 probably belonged to this alparpiece:

• two panels of the figures of the Annunciation that are attributed to Bartolomeo Caporali (now in Room 15/16); and

• two panels of pairs of saints that are attributed to Benedetto Bonfigli (now in the deposit of the gallery).

The proposed dating is supported for the first two panels by the fact that some of the details of the Virgin’s study seem to have been inspired by the Gonfalone dell’ Annunziata (1466), which is attributed to Nicolò Liberatore, called l’ Alunno (also in the Galleria Nazionale). 

The other two panels might have flanked a central figure of St Vincent Ferrer, thus justifying Vasari's description.  They depict:

• SS Catherine of Alexandria and Peter; and

• SS Paul and Peter Martyr.

Pala Belli (1493)

This altarpiece is described in the page on the Cappella di San Lorenzo.

Panels from a polyptych (late 15th century)

The three panels, which are attributed to Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, almost certainly formed part of a polyptych.  Like many works in San Domenico, this was probably removed from its original location after the collapse of the vaulting of the nave in 1614.  The surviving panels are now in the Galleria Nazionale (Room 15/16).

Panels from a polyptych (ca. 1510)

These two damaged panels, which are attributed to Giannicola di Paolo, were first recorded in the 19th century in San Domenico  They entered the Galleria Nazionale (Room 28) in 1863.  The panels depict:

• St John the Evangelist and the Virgin; and

• SS Mary Magdalene and Sebastian.

All the figures are grieving, so they probably flanked a Crucifixion or perhaps a Pietà.

Blessed Colomba da Rieti (ca. 1505)

This panel, which is attributed to Giannicola di Paolo, was painted soon after the death of the Blessed Colomba and was probably placed over the altar in San Domenico that housed her relics.  It was subsequently moved to the adjacent convent and entered the Galleria Nazionale (Room 28) in 1863.  There is a copy (18th century) of this panel in the Cappella della Beata Colomba (the 1st on the right).

Pala dell’ Ognissanti (1506-7)

This altarpiece (of All Saints) by Giannicola di Paolo was commissioned for a chapel in San Domenico according to the terms of the will (1493) of Margherita della Corgna, the wife of Baglione di Ugolino dei Montevibiani.  Giorgio Vasari recorded it in situ in the 16th century. 

Although the altarpiece was listed among the works to be sent to the Musei Capitolini, Rome in 1812, it was subsequently decided that it should remain in the church.  It entered the Accademia di Belle Arti in 1810 and was subsequently moved to the Galleria Nazionale (Room 28).

Madonna and Child with saints (ca. 1610)

This altarpiece by Giovanni Antonio Scaramuccia was transferred to the Galleria Nazionale in 1863 and is now in the deposit there.

St Luke (1675)

This panel by Giovanni Andrea Carlone from the right wall of the Cappella di San Vincenzo Ferreri ((the 2nd chapel on the left) is now in the convent.  The saint is depicted as an artist, and his face is a self-portrait.

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