Botticini's Palmieri Altarpiece & San Pier Maggiore
Francesco Botticini’s altarpiece The Assumption of the Virgin was painted around 1475 for the chapel of Matteo Palmieri in the church of San Pier Maggiore, Florence. A recent exhibition, Visions of Paradise: Botticini’s Palmieri Altarpiece, at The National Gallery in London, focused on this monumental work. Visions of Paradise showcased new curatorial, scientific, and technical research, undertaken by Dr. Jennifer Sliwka, Ahmanson Curator in Art and Religion at The National Gallery.
The altarpiece's original home, the church of San Pier Maggiore, was largely destroyed in the 18th century, and to help viewers better understand the original function and context of the altarpiece, a digital reconstruction of the church was made. You can learn more about the fascinating process of reconstructing San Pier Maggiore by watching this short documentary film made by The National Gallery in collaboration with the University of Cambridge: https://youtu.be/ZUXa1nDtOB0