About of bubonic plague that struck Europe in 1348 and decimated a large percentage of the population. Art was affected by the plague. Several important masters succumbed to it, including Andrea Pisano, Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, and Bernardo Daddi. Further, since the plague was considered punishment for sins committed, patrons commissioned religious works that served to expiate whatever sins had brought on the catastrophe. Most of the works commissioned in the mid-14th century in Florence and Siena, where 50 to 75 percent of the population is thought to have perished, dealt with scenes of death and final judgment. The plague recurred sporadically until the 18th century when it was finally brought under control. In Florence, it struck again in 1448, lasting for three consecutive summers. In 1557-1577, Venice lost 30 percent of its population to the disease. The doge vowed that if the city was delivered from the plague, he would commemorate the event by building a church in honor of Christ the Redeemer. Andrea Palladio received the commission, building II Redentore (beg. 1577). To this day, a procession on the Feast of the Redeemer (the third Sunday in July) takes place, ending in the church with a thanksgiving mass.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.