Artwork
Predella pane with Saint Bridget, Saint Christopher, and Saint Kilian from Retable
Predella pane with Saint Bridget, Saint Christopher, and Saint Kilian from Retable is a tempera painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Domingo Ram. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition reflects the devotional priorities of the period, utilizing established iconographic types to communicate spiritual narratives to the faithful.
The predella panel functions as a religious narrative component within a larger retable, depicting three distinct holy figures. The scene explicitly portrays Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, alongside Saint Bridget and Saint Kilian. These saints are presented in a tempera-on-panel format characteristic of mid-15th-century devotional art.
While specific symbolic attributes for each individual are not detailed in the available records, their collective inclusion on a predella suggests a thematic focus on protection, faith, and martyrdom intended to guide the viewer's meditation. The work serves as a visual intercession, linking the earthly realm of the worshiper with the celestial authority of these saints. The composition reflects the devotional priorities of the period, utilizing established iconographic types to communicate spiritual narratives to the faithful.
Technique & Style
Created in 1450 by Domingo Ram, this predella panel is executed in tempera on a wood support. The work functions as a religious painting, originally forming part of a larger retable structure. Stylistically, the composition features three distinct holy figures: Saint Bridget, Saint Christopher, and Saint Kilian, arranged within the horizontal format typical of predella narratives.
The application of tempera allows for the precise delineation of these sacred subjects, maintaining the formal clarity required for devotional imagery of the mid-fifteenth century. While specific details regarding the current surface condition or handling history are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the medium and support reflect standard practices for Spanish panel painting of this era.
History & Provenance
The predella panel featuring Saint Bridget, Saint Christopher, and Saint Kilian was created by the artist Domingo Ram around the year 1450. Executed in tempera on a wooden panel, this religious artwork was originally part of a larger retable structure. While specific details regarding the original commissioning patron or the precise location of its initial installation are not detailed in the available records, the work is firmly dated to the mid-15th century based on stylistic and historical analysis.
The piece eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently housed. The attribution to Domingo Ram is consistent across major art historical databases, confirming his authorship of this specific predella pane depicting the three saints.
The panel is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded as part of the museum’s holdings without a separate accession number dedicated solely to this predella pane; the work is identified within the museum’s general collection of European paintings. It has not been recorded as having entered any public exhibitions since its inclusion in the museum’s permanent holdings.
Overview
This tempera painting, created by Domingo Ram around 1450, is a predella panel from a larger altarpiece. Titled Predella pane with Saint Bridget, Saint Christopher, and Saint Kilian from Retable, it features three distinct religious figures. The work is now part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering insight into 15th-century religious art practices in the Iberian Peninsula.
Artist & collection
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