The Apostles Saint Andrew and Saint James the Lesser, with a Prophet

Pietro Lorenzetti's panel depicting Saints Andrew and James the Lesser with a Prophet (c. 1328) is a fragment from a larger Sienese polyptych that would have adorned a church altar. Pietro, along with his brother Ambrogio, represented the progressive wing of the Sienese school, integrating Giotto's volumetric innovations with the lyrical elegance inherited from Duccio. Both brothers likely perished in the Black Death of 1348, cutting short two of the most original careers in Trecento painting.

Rendered in egg tempera with gold ground on panel, the figures display Pietro's characteristic blend of sculptural weight and emotional intensity. The prophetic figure and saints are distinguished by individualized features and expressive gestures, set against elaborately tooled gold backgrounds with fine punch-work.