Sassetta

(Stefano di Giovanni; active c. 1423-1450)

   Considered the greatest painter of the early 15th century in Siena, Sassetta's most notable work is the Sansepolcro Altarpiece of 1437-1444, painted for the high altar of the Church of San Francesco in Borgo Sansepolcro. This double-sided altarpiece was dismantled and the panels scattered in various museums, leaving scholars with the problem of reconstructing the intended order of the scenes. A Virgin and Child flanked by four saints occupied the front, St. Francis in Ecstasy (now Settignano, Villa i Tatti) the verso, while the rest of the panels depicted scenes from the saint's life. The St. Francis in Ecstasy divulges Sassetta's awareness of the latest Florentine developments for his saint displays the same substance and verism as Masaccio's figures. As a Sienese master, Sassetta combined these Florentine elements with a profusion of gilding and brilliant palette, both frequently seen in Sienese art.