Artwork
Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret
Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret is a tempera painting by the Sienese School artist Giovanni di Paolo. It dates from 1470 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition features four female saints, Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret, rendered in the artist's characteristic late Gothic style.
Executed in 1470 by Giovanni di Paolo, this religious work is a tempera painting applied to a wooden panel support. The composition features four female saints, Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret, rendered in the artist's characteristic late Gothic style. The panel measures 46.4 cm in height and 14.3 cm in width, indicating a narrow, vertical format likely intended for a specific devotional context or as part of a larger ensemble.
The use of tempera on panel was a standard technique for Italian religious art of this period, allowing for precise linear detail and luminous color application typical of the Sienese school. The work's physical dimensions and medium reflect the technical conventions of fifteenth-century panel painting, though specific details regarding its current surface condition or handling history are not provided in the available records.
History & Provenance
Created by Giovanni di Paolo in 1470, the painting titled Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret was executed in tempera on panel. The work depicts the four titular saints and measures 46.4 cm in height and 14.3 cm in width. Its creation history places it firmly within the mid-to-late 15th century by the Sienese master.
Regarding ownership, the piece was part of the collection of Michael Friedsam before entering the holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The current location of the artwork is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains a significant example of religious panel painting from the artist's late period.
The painting Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret by Giovanni di Paolo, created in 1470, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is part of the museum’s collection and was previously owned by Michael Friedsam; no specific accession or inventory number is provided in the available documentation. Exhibition records are not detailed in the cited sources, so any exhibition history cannot be confirmed from the given information.
Overview
Giovanni di Paolo's tempera painting, "Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret," dates to 1470. This religious panel depicts four female saints, each identifiable by specific attributes. The work is currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering a glimpse into Sienese Renaissance devotional art. The figures are presented against a backdrop of golden arches, characteristic of the period's sacred imagery.
Subject & Meaning
The panel portrays four prominent early Christian martyrs: Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha of Sicily, and Margaret the Virgin. Each saint is distinguished by an object symbolizing her life or martyrdom. Catherine holds a breaking wheel, Barbara a tower, and Agatha a bowl, referencing their respective torments.
Margaret, the final figure, is depicted with a bunch of keys, an attribute sometimes associated with her role or patronage. These symbols served as visual cues for viewers.
![The Annunciation with Saint Francis and Saint Louis of Toulouse [four panels]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/cosimo-tura--the-annunciation-with-saint-francis-and-saint-louis-of-toulo--b6fe2fe99644e8d8-w320.webp)
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter, working primarily in Siena, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts.
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