Although the works of Pietro Lorenzetti (1280–1348) rank among the most famous of the 14th century, one of his panels, a small Crucifixion in the Harvard Art Museums, has remained largely overlooked, despite its unique imagery. Combining three temporal horizons—past, present, and eschatological future—this panel grants precedence to Clare of Assisi over Francis, founder of the Franciscan Order. Probably created for a nun, Lorenzetti’s painting turns abstruse allegory into a vehicle for a self-conscious meditation on the power of painting itself.

In his gallery talk, Harvard professor Jeffrey F. Hamburger will explore the historical context of this panel as well as the subtleties of Pietro’s painting technique and iconographic imagination, enriching our understanding of one of the most innovative artists of the Trecento.

After the talk, visit the shop inside the Harvard Art Museums to check out Professor Hamburger’s new book, Flesh and Fabric: The Raiment of the Passion in a Crucifixion by Pietro Lorenzetti, published by Officina Libri.

Led by:
Jeffrey F. Hamburger, Kuno Francke Professor of German Art & Culture, Department of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University