Christ in Glory with Saints John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria and a View of Florence (The Lioni Altarpiece)

Girolamo Macchietti was a major Florentine artist who studied with a pupil of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio and also directly with Giorgio Vasari; both of whom are represented in the museum’s collection. Macchietti was especially recognized for his altarpieces, which still grace major churches in Florence. Although his earliest work reflects the influence of artists such as Vasari, Parmigianino, and Raphael’s school, his interpretation of Tusco-Roman Mannerism was both unique and highly original. This altarpiece allows us to clearly see in brilliant fashion mid-sixteenth century Italian painting as it was evolving between the stylistic phases of the High Renaissance and the Baroque.