« Cum colonnellis et [p]redula ». (Im)materialità della committenza di polittici per la chiesa dell'Ospedale Santa Chiara di Pisa

Between 1301 and 1402, at least three polyptychs were commissioned for the church of the Santa Chiara Hospital in Pisa, only one of which has partially survived. This artistic initiative reveals a polarity between the emerging role of multiple panels in altarpiece design and the coherence of a unitary scheme for church altar decoration. Drawing on 14th-century sources, this paper examines these polyptychs by investigating the context of their commission, production, and reception. The study seeks to illuminate the sensibilities and ambitions of the patrons, as well as the significance of these experimental approaches to altarpiece production in late medieval Pisa.