Artwork
Saint Nicholas Saving a Hang
Saint Nicholas Saving a Hang is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Zanobi Machiavelli. It dates from 1470 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1470 by Zanobi Machiavelli, possibly in collaboration with Domenico di Michelino, the work belongs to the genre of religious art.
The painting depicts the religious scene of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino interacting with a soldier. Created in 1470 by Zanobi Machiavelli, possibly in collaboration with Domenico di Michelino, the work belongs to the genre of religious art. The composition focuses on the saint figure alongside the military character, representing a narrative from hagiography or a specific devotional theme common in Florentine religious painting of the late 15th century.
The visual program centers on these two primary figures to convey the spiritual significance of the saint's intervention or presence.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1470, this religious panel painting utilizes tempera on a wood support. The work measures 22 cm in height and 48 cm in width, reflecting a compact format typical of devotional pieces from Florence. Stylistically, the composition focuses on the depiction of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino alongside a soldier, capturing the narrative moment of intervention.
The application of tempera allows for the precise delineation of figures and drapery characteristic of the mid-fifteenth-century Florentine tradition.
History & Provenance
Saint Nicholas Saving a Hang was painted around 1470 in Florence, likely by Zanobi Machiavelli, with possible collaboration from Domenico di Michelino, as indicated by the work’s inception date and its execution in tempera on panel. The painting entered the collection of Julius Wilhelm Edwin vom Rath before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today. While no specific commission is recorded in the sources, its Florentine origin and religious subject align with typical patronage patterns of the period.
Overview
Created in 1470 by the Florentine painter and illuminator Zanobi Machiavelli, this tempera panel portrays a dramatic intervention by Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The composition centers on a group of men in vivid red and brown garments gathered before a city wall, with a gallows and a hanging rope visible in the background. The saint, identified by a golden halo, reaches toward a condemned figure, suggesting a moment of rescue.
Artist & collection
Artist
Zanobi Machiavelli (1418–1479) was an Italian painter and illuminator. Machiavelli specialized in religious themed pieces. Some of his works reside at the National Gallery, London, and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. He…
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