Object Image

The Virgin and Child Enthroned among Angels and Saints

This altarpiece was made for the meeting room of the Florentine youth confraternity of the Purification of the Virgin and of Saint Zenobius, which was in the Dominican convent at San Marco.

Saint Zenobius and Saint John the Baptist - the patron saints of Florence - are shown on the Virgin's right-hand side. Zenobius was the city's first bishop, and wears the robes and mitre (hat) of that position. Behind him, Saint John points to the infant Christ. Saint Jerome in blue and Saint Francis, well known for their piety and humble lifestyles, kneel at the front. Standing on the Virgin's left-hand side are Saint Peter, Christ's disciple, and Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order.

The Vir...

1461-2
Tempera on wood
161.9 x 170.2cm
NG283
Image and text © The National Gallery, London, 2024

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