Madonna della Misericordia with Saints Peter and Benedict

Abstract

This glazed terracotta altarpiece (in Santa Maria in Grado, Arezzo) is a more modern-looking version of what was thought to be a miraculous fresco of the Madonna della Misericordia in Santa Maria delle Grazie, Arezzo, for which Andrea della Robbia had made a frame. The coats of arms in the predella are those of Valerio Carbonati, who founded this chapel in 1489. Vasari greatly admired this sculpture, which he called "bellissimo" (most beautiful). In older photographs published by Gentilini and Pope Hennessy, God the Father's face appears in the keystone of the arched frame, an area that is now blank -- only God's arms remain. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.