Why was this magnificent Renaissance painting so deeply personal—and so heartbreaking—for the artist who created it?

In this new journey through Cortona – City of Hidden Treasures, author Victoria Smith takes us inside The Lamentation over the Dead Christ (1502), Luca Signorelli’s extraordinary masterpiece, now housed in the Diocesan Museum of Cortona.

Joining us is one of the world’s leading authorities on Signorelli, Professor Tom Henry, who reveals the moving story behind one of the most emotional works of the Italian Renaissance—a story where art, loss, and genius become inseparable.

The mystery revealed

According to the renowned Renaissance biographer Giorgio Vasari, Signorelli’s eldest son, Antonio, died tragically in the summer of 1502.

Despite his overwhelming grief, the artist displayed remarkable strength: before his son’s burial, he carefully studied and drew his body, determined to preserve forever what, in Vasari’s words, “Nature had given him, and cruel fate had taken away.”

The evidence hidden beneath the paint

Recent technical analysis has uncovered an astonishing discovery: Christ’s head was painted twice.

Beneath the visible face lies the outline of an earlier version. Art historians believe that, after the death of his son, Signorelli repainted Christ’s face, transforming this commission into a deeply personal farewell.

So profound was his emotional involvement that he is said to have accepted only half of his agreed payment, dedicating the sacrifice to the salvation of his soul.