November 1, 2009

Sassetta's Borgo San Sepolcro altarpiece, reconstructed

Sixty paintings once adorned the altarpiece of a Franciscan church in the small Tuscan town of Borgo San Sepolcro. View illustrations from the modern-day reconstruction.

From The November-December 2009 Issue

Sassetta: The Borgo San Sepolcro Altarpiece, a new book edited by art historian and Villa I Tatti fellow Machtelt Israëls, details the reconstruction of a "lost" Italian Renaissance altarpiece. Below, view images from the recent virtual restoration. To read more, see the main article, "Masterpiece Pieces."

Reconstruction of Sassetta’s Borgo San Sepolcro altarpiece, front view.

Reconstruction of Sassetta’s Borgo San Sepolcro altarpiece, oblique front view with its full piers, altar, and altar steps.

Reconstruction of Sassetta’s Borgo San Sepolcro altarpiece, back view.

Reconstruction of Sassetta’s Borgo San Sepolcro altarpiece, oblique back view with its full piers, altar, and altar steps.

Credit for all images: Reconstruction by Machtelt Israëls, James R. Banker, Roberto Bellucci, Rachel Billinge, George Bisacca, Ciro Castelli, Cecilia Frosinini, Christa Gardner von Teuffel, Babette Hartwieg, Elisabeth Ravaud, Andrea Santacesaria, Carl Brandon Strehlke, Dominique Thiébaut, Serena Urry et al. Three-dimensional drawing by Andrea Santacesaria, Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence. Rendering by Giacomo Tenti, Culturanuova, Arezzo. © Villa I Tatti, The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies.

Published in the November-December 2009 print issue under the headline “A Masterpiece Reconstructed,” in the section.

You might also like

A photograph of the inside of the From Iran exhibit at the Harvard Peabody Museum

Tk tk Iran

Artist Azadeh Akhlaghi reconstructs moments of Iranian political upheaval in a series of meticulously staged images.

Label showing the anatomy of a worker bee, featuring a detailed illustration.

Science and art capture the microscopic natural world.

Older man in a green sweater holds a postcard in a warmly decorated office.

How a Harvard Hockey Legend Became a Needlepoint Artist

Joe Bertagna’s retirement project recreates figures from Boston sports history.

Most popular

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.

Singer performing on stage with a guitar, wearing a hat, and surrounded by band instruments.

Singer Elisa Smith’s whiskey-soaked voice and subversive feminism is part of the genre’s urban shift.

Aerial view of a large industrial data center facility with a flat roof and various equipment.

Before a data center is built, Francesca Dominici and Le Xie aim to predict costs to the grid, the air, and the neighbors next door.

Explore More From Current Issue

Aerial view of modern high-rise buildings surrounded by greenery and city skyline.

Architecture & Design

In a sea of red brick, the Science Center and Peabody Terrace make their mark.

Racing driver gives a thumbs up from inside a car, wearing a helmet and safety gear.

Alumni Profiles

Harvard graduate and NASCAR racer Patrick Staropoli on pedals, attention, and fearlessness.

A chaotic scene in a messy room with people engaging in various activities, some cleaning.

Harvard History

Until the 1950s, professionals cleaned up after students in the dorms.