Saint Paul (right panel)
- Artist: Master of the Dominican Effigies
- Date: 1345
- Medium: tempera on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Saint Paul (right panel)” by the Master of the Dominican Effigies. Painted in 1345 in Florence, the piece shows the influence of his mentor, Pacino di Bonaguida, especially in the delicate manuscript‑illuminator style that the Master was known for. The composition reflects a clear debt to Bernardo Daddi, whose serene handling of sacred scenes is echoed in the balanced arrangement of saints around the Virgin and Child.
On the far right you’ll notice what at first glance appears to be Mary Magdalen, but an inscription beneath her reveals she was originally painted as Saint Margaret. The dragon—an attribute of Margaret—still clings to her garment, a subtle hint of the painting’s earlier iconography.
The work is a tempera on panel, typical of the period, and it carries the warm, earthy palette that Florence painters favored in the mid‑14th century. The Master’s skill in rendering delicate folds and subtle facial expressions shines through, making this panel a quiet but powerful example of early Florentine panel painting.
See it in person
Saint Paul (right panel) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
