An Imago pietatis by Simone

by Andrea De Marchi

Andrea De Marchi, art historian and university professor presents a detailed description of an unpublished work by Simone Martini, a small Pietà, whose authentic pictorial qualities have been brought to light by the careful restoration work carried out by Stefano Scarpelli. The painting dates back to Simone Martini’s early years, shortly before his marriage to Giovanna Memmi in 1324, when the artist was moving between Pisa, Orvieto, and Siena. Originally conceived as the right side of a diptych, the left panel of which is missing, presumably depicting the Madonna and Child, this panel was used as an Osculatorium, as confirmed by some deteriorated parts. It has some iconographic peculiarities, such as the impression that Christ is still alive, given by the expressive depiction of his face. De Marchi makes many interesting comparisons with other works by Simone Martini and contemporary artists, especially his brother-in-law Lippo Memmi, with whom he collaborated closely, but also Giotto, Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Allegretto Nuzi, and Naddo Ceccarelli. This exciting discovery takes us back to the early universe of the Sienese artist, where this panel is still imbued with “an extreme, painful thrill of life.”