Lot 2006 Dα

As Professor Carlo Falciani confirmed in a written communication to the owner (October 1st, 2012), the lunette can be confidently attributed to Mariotto Albertinelli and dated to between 1509 and 1513, when the artist was working with Fra Bartolomeo.
The work can be compared stylistically and iconographically to a series of altarpieces by Mariotto from the same years. For comparison, observe the representation of the Trinity, created around 1510 for the altar of the Church of San Giuliano in Florence, and the upper part of the Annunciation with God the Father, signed and dated "1510 Mariocti Florenti Opus", executed for the main altar of the Compagnia di San Zanobi in the Canonica di Santa Maria del Fiori.
However, the direct source for the iconography of the present lunette appears to be the altarpiece by Fra Bartolomeo from 1509 now in the Museum of Villa Guinigi in Lucca, which depicts the Eternal Father with St. Mary Magdalene and St. Catherine. Particularly striking is the comparison with the figure of God the Father, who holds the book with Alpha and Omega on his knee, his right arm raised in blessing. Mariotto Albertinelli adopts Fra Bartolomeo's figure, reproducing the same austere facial expression but at the same time imbuing it with a certain dramatic quality which is typical of his works.
Even when the attribution and date of the painting are unproblematic, the question remains as to which altarpiece the lunette belongs to. It could be a work painted by Albertinelli or by Fra Bartolomeo, since it is known that the two sometimes collaborated on the execution of various parts of the same commission, such as in the work commissioned by Ferry Carondelet for Besançon Cathedral, for which both painters received their wages between 1511 and 1513. The main panel by Fra Bartlomeo was surmounted by a lunette by Mariotto, which is now in Stuttgart.
Among the works carried out during the artists' collaboration, the altarpiece with the Virgin and Child enthroned with Sts. Peter and Paul in the Church of Santa Caterina di Pisa, a commission given to Fra Bartolomeo and Albertinelli in 1511, most closely matches the dimensions of the present lunette. The main panel measures 200 x 180 cm, and the book of San Marco lists payment to both painters, "from our painter Fra Bartolomeo and his partner Mariotto, to pay seven large gold guilders from Mariotto for them on October 3, because the thirty ducats had to go to Pisa for the panel ... Michele Mastiani" ["da Fra Bartolomeo nostro dipintore e Mariotto suo compagno a dì 3 ottobre, fiorini siete larghi d'oro in oro, per loro da Mariotto, per parte de ducati trenta ebbe da Pisa per la tavola di ... Michele Mastiani"] .
However, despite the fact that both artists received payment, the style of the Pisa panel, which was severely damaged by fire in 1615 and has now been reinstalled in an altar built after that date, only corresponds to the style of Fra Bartolomeo. The dimensions of the piece perfectly match those of the present lunette. An analogy can also be seen in the iconography and composition, where the act of the Father is reflected in that of the blessing Christ Child. Could the two panels have formed part of the same commission?
As in the case of the commission for Besançon, the payment to both painters could relate to two different parts of the same altarpiece. Although the connection to the altar of Pisa is plausible and suggestive, it will remain hypothetical until further documentary evidence is available.
We would like to thank Professor Carlo Falciani, upon whose essay this catalogue entry is largely based.