Five Saints
(Medieval Europe )
Four of these saints are recognizable by their attributes: Sebastian by his arrows, Anthony Abbot by his staff, Margaret by her dragon, and Lucy by her burning lamp. The fifth is a bishop, as indicated by his miter; his crozier is incised directly into the gold leaf above Anthony Abbot's head. While three of the saints face toward what would have been the altarpiece's main panel, two turn their gaze outward. By directing the gaze of selected figures towards the worshiper, the painter made the saints appear more attentive to the needs of those who looked to them for help and protection.
For more information on this panel, please see Zeri catalogue number 10, pp. 17-18.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Marquess Filippo Marignoli, Rome and Spoleto, until 1898 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Marquess Francesco Marignoli, 1898 [mode of acqusition unknown]; Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, 1899 [1900 catalogue supplement: no. 26, attributed to Simon Memmi]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Italy, Florence (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 48 1/2 x W: 17 5/16 x D: 1/2 in. (123.2 x 44 x 1.2 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.719