Artwork
Saints Matthew and Francis
Saints Matthew and Francis is a tempera painting by the Sienese School artist Giovanni di Paolo. It dates from 1435 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a religious painting created in 1435 by Giovanni di Paolo, the piece functions as a devotional image intended to honor these saints.
The work depicts two specific Christian figures: Matthew the Apostle and Francis of Assisi. As a religious painting created in 1435 by Giovanni di Paolo, the piece functions as a devotional image intended to honor these saints. The subject matter is strictly defined by the presence of these two individuals, who are central to the composition.
While the specific symbolic attributes held by each figure are not detailed in the available records, the inclusion of both Matthew and Francis establishes the painting's identity within the genre of religious art. The work represents a visual veneration of these saints, typical of the early 15th-century Sienese tradition, serving as a focal point for spiritual contemplation regarding the lives and virtues of the depicted apostle and saint.
Technique & Style
Saints Matthew and Francis is executed in tempera on panel, a medium characteristic of mid-fifteenth-century Italian devotional painting. The work takes the form of a vertical panel measuring 134.3 cm in height by 85.1 cm in width, an elongated format well suited to the standing figures of the two saints. The tempera technique, employing pigments bound in an egg-based emulsion over a gessoed wooden support, allowed Giovanni di Paolo to build up the composition through successive thin layers, producing the crisp linear definition and saturated local color associated with Sienese practice of the period.
Stylistically, the painting reflects the refined, narrative-rich manner for which the artist is known, with careful attention to the contours of drapery and the expressive features of the two holy figures. As a religious work, its handling balances iconic frontality with the decorative elegance typical of Sienese panels of the 1430s.
History & Provenance
Saints Matthew and Francis, a tempera painting on panel measuring 134.3 × 85.1 cm and dated 1435, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is listed in the museum’s collection but its specific accession or inventory number is not provided in the available documentation. The painting depicts the apostle Matthew and Saint Francis and falls within the religious art genre. Exhibition history is not recorded in the sources consulted.
Overview
Painted in 1435, Saints Matthew and Francis is a tempera panel by the Sienese master Giovanni di Paolo. The work depicts the Evangelist Matthew and Saint Francis of Assisi standing side by side against a gold background, a stylistic choice reflecting the enduring Gothic tradition in Siena during the early Renaissance. Matthew, positioned on the left, is characterized by long gray hair and a beard, wearing a yellow robe while holding a red book, symbolizing his authorship of the Gospel.
To his right stands Francis, distinguished by short dark hair and a simple brown hooded habit, also clutching a red book. Both figures stand upon a red carpet, framed by a gilded structure that emphasizes their sanctity. Created during a period when di Paolo was establishing his reputation as a leading painter in Siena, the piece demonstrates his skill in combining linear elegance with rich color.
The composition adheres to the devotional conventions of the time, focusing on the spiritual presence of the saints rather than naturalistic depth, serving as a testament to the artist's ability to maintain traditional iconography while infusing it with his distinctive expressive style.
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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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