Artwork
The Virgin and Child; Charity of Saint Nicholas; Crucifixion; Christ and the Samarian Woman
The Virgin and Child; Charity of Saint Nicholas; Crucifixion; Christ and the Samarian Woman is a tempera painting by the Italo Byzantine artist Niccolò di Tommaso. It dates from 1360 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Together these elements convey a program of devotion focused on intercession, divine compassion, and the universal reach of Christ’s message.
The work portrays the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ as its central sacred figures, while Saint Nicholas is shown extending charity toward a needy child, illustrating his legendary generosity. A crucifixion scene and the encounter of Christ with the Samaritan woman provide additional narrative layers that reference key episodes in Christian theology and salvation history. Together these elements convey a program of devotion focused on intercession, divine compassion, and the universal reach of Christ’s message.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in tempera on panel, a standard technique for Italian devotional paintings of the Trecento. According to the Wikidata record for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston holding, the panel measures 100.7 cm in height by 69.7 cm in width, a vertical format suited to its religious function. The classification as a painting and the use of tempera on a wooden support are consistent with Niccolò di Tommaso's documented practice in Florence during the 1360s.
The composition combines multiple devotional subjects, the Virgin and Child, the Charity of Saint Nicholas, the Crucifixion, and Christ and the Samaritan Woman, within a single panel, a typology that would have required careful planning of the ground and underdrawing to integrate the narrative scenes around the central Marian image.
No information on current condition, conservation history, or specific stylistic handling (such as gilding, punchwork, or pigment palette) is provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The painting is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Created in 1360 by Niccolò di Tommaso, the work is executed in tempera on panel and measures 100.7 cm in height by 69.7 cm in width. The provided sources confirm its location at this institution but do not list a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, no information regarding the exhibition history of this artwork is available in the current records.
Overview
Created in 1360 by Niccolò di Tommaso, an itinerant painter active in Florence, Naples and Pistoia, this tempera panel combines several biblical narratives within a single composition. The work exemplifies the Italo‑Byzantine style prevalent in mid‑fourteenth‑century Italy and is now part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Niccolò di Tommaso (active 1346–1376) was an Italian painter active in Florence, Naples and Pistoia.
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