Predella Panel. The Annunciation to Sobac 1329

Pietro Lorenzetti painted this tempera on wood predella panel depicting the Annunciation to Sobac around the 1320s in Siena, Italy. The architecture, clothing, and interior decoration offer insight into the material culture of early fourteenth-century Italy. This small, narrative painting was originally part of a larger altarpiece, commissioned most likely by a religious institution or wealthy patron to adorn a church. The careful attention to detail, the use of expensive materials like gold leaf, and the religious subject matter all point to the importance of the Catholic Church as a major cultural and economic force during this time. Notice the angel Gabriel interrupting Sobac's slumber. The scroll that he holds contains the important news. The setting is an Italian home with distinct architectural features. Examining church records, guild documents, and merchant inventories can help us understand more about the social conditions that shaped Lorenzetti’s art. The historian's role is to understand the intersection of faith, commerce, and artistic production in the vibrant world of medieval Siena.