painted somewhere about the same time, for the broad style,
tending rather to coarseness, of the work of this period is very
noticeable. It was executed for the church of Santa Trinita in Cortona,
and Milanesi suggests that it might be the altar-piece ordered in 1521
by the authorities of that church,[70] but the description given by the
document of commission is very different, and the picture itself seems
to bear evidence of an earlier date. Like so many of the works in this
Gallery, the painting has been so thickly daubed over by modern
restorers, that it is next to impossible to form a just idea of the
original colour; in its present state it is disagreeably crude and
heavy, and in any case the overcrowding of the composition would prevent
its being considered a successful example of the master's work, although
it has his usual stately dignity and impressive qualities in the
individual figures. The Virgin sits with the Child on her knee, clad in
red robes, over which is a garment, now smeared over with black paint,
but which formerly was covered with gold embroideries. Over her head is
a Trinity, in a _mandorla_ surrounded by cherubs. On the left stands the
Archangel Michael, in Roman armour, holding the balances, in which are
little nude figures representing the souls of the dead; on the right
stands Gabriel with the lily and scroll containing the Message of the
Annunciation. Below, seated at the foot of the throne, are Saint
Augustine and Saint Anastasio, the latter the same burly Bishop with
wide-spread knees of the Loreto Cupola, and the Volterra altar-piece.
These two Saints are fine, stately figures, painted with broad sweeping
lines. The green robe of S. Anastasio was originally covered with a
gorgeous pattern, probably of yellow or gold, but this has been effaced
by the thick smear of repaint. The gentle humility in the face of the
Virgin recalls the "Madonna," of the Brera Gallery, Milan (No. 197
_bis_) with which the picture has, besides, much in common, the Child,
as well as the hands of the Virgin, being exactly the same, although in
a reversed position. We shall not probably be far wrong in placing the
Florence altar-piece about the same time as this "Madonna," of the
Brera, which is dated 1508, and was painted for the church of S.
Francesco in Arcevia (a town famous for its possession of one of
Signorelli's most important works, which we shall presently consider).
Very much repainted, the Madonna still r