Nativity with Saints

Pietro di Francesco Orioli (c 1458 – 1496)

The Nativity with Saints

From The Nativity with Saints Altarpiece

c. 1485 - 95

Tempera on wood

187.5 x 155 cm

The National Gallery, London

I have written about Pietro Orioli before.

Orioli was a pupil of Matteo di Giovanni, though he also worked with the multi-talented Francesco di Giorgio. He is thought to have been independently active from the 1480s; his first documented work

The images above are from a work in The National Gallery in London which is only available for viewing once a week (Wednesday)

The work comes from the little chapel of Cerreto Ciampoli, in the Val-d'Arbia part of the Province of Siena. It was part of an altarpiece

In this Nativity scene we see the Virgin and Child with Saint Joseph, God the Father between two angels, John the Baptist, Saint Stephen and possibly a shepherd, Saints Jerome and Nicholas

For the altarpiece see below

THe original Siennese carpentry is still extant

Orioli is known from documents to have been particularly devout

Many experts have commented on the influence on the Siennese artist by the Dominicans, Savonarola and Botticelli

For more information about the artist see the website of the Basilica dell` Osservanza in Siena where the artist is buried