Adoring Saints: Left Main Tier Panel
- Artist: Jacopo di Cione
- Date: 1370-1
- Medium: egg tempera on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "Adoring Saints: Left Main Tier Panel" painted in the Italian north by Jacopo di Cione. Created around 1370, this panel showcases Christ crowning the Virgin Mary, a scene mirrored on another panel to form the central image of an altarpiece.
You'll notice that the saints are arranged in five rows, ascending diagonally towards the right edge, where it meets the central image. Each saint is meticulously painted with great detail, wearing different robes and carrying objects associated with their martyrdom.
Take a closer look at Saint Stephen in the front row - he's wearing a stone on his head, symbolizing his death by stoning for his Christian faith. Next to him is Saint Bartholomew, who was skinned alive, and he's carrying a large knife.
Moving up the rows, you'll see Saint Peter, dressed in his usual colours of yellow and blue, holding a key that represents the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He's placed in a position of honour at the Virgin's right hand.
The saints have been carefully selected by the wealthy Albizzi family, who commissioned this altarpiece for the Florentine church of San Pier Maggiore. You can see how many of them are connected to the family's history and trade in wool.
The use of egg tempera on wood gives this painting a rich, golden quality that would have twinkled in the candlelit church. It's a truly remarkable work of art from the Italian north, showcasing the skill and craftsmanship of Jacopo di Cione.
See it in person
Adoring Saints: Left Main Tier Panel hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
