Tezi Altarpiece

The Tezi Altarpiece, a renowned masterpiece by the Italian Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino, is displayed at the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria in Perugia, Italy. Originally, this exquisite altarpiece was complemented by a predella panel depicting the Last Supper, which now resides in Berlin's Gemäldegalerie. The artwork was initially commissioned for the Tezi Chapel in the church of Sant'Agostino in Perugia. However, during the Napoleonic era, when many monastic institutions were suppressed, the painting was relocated to the Umbrian Gallery.

In this remarkable panel, the Madonna and Child are depicted floating amidst clouds in the sky, flanked by St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Bernardino of Siena. Below them, traditional depictions of St. Jerome with his lion and St. Sebastian pierced by arrows are set against a tranquil wooded landscape. At the very bottom center of the painting, there is a tabernacle that once held the Holy Sacrament.

Notably, the Madonna in this altarpiece bears similarity to Perugino's Madonna of the Consolation, created around the same period. However, the color scheme of this painting is quite unusual for Perugino, leading many to believe that his workshop executed most of the work, with Perugino himself providing the finishing touches.