Saint Ursula and Her Maidens

Niccolò di Pietro's Saint Ursula and Her Maidens from around 1410 depicts the legendary princess who led eleven thousand virgin martyrs to their deaths in Cologne on a pilgrimage to Rome, a story enormously popular throughout medieval Europe. Niccolò worked in Venice at the very beginning of the fifteenth century, his style reflecting the Byzantine-influenced Venetian tradition of the late Trecento while absorbing some elements of the International Gothic style circulating through Italy. The painting likely came from an altarpiece or devotional series commemorating Ursula's legendary martyrdom, which was particularly venerated in Venice and throughout the Adriatic world. Niccolò di Pietro's work represents Venetian painting in its transitional moment, between the Byzantine solemnity of the Trecento and the early Renaissance transformations that would culminate in the Bellini family's achievement.

The tempera and gold on wood demonstrates the ornate, decorative style of Venetian Gothic painting with elaborate gold tooling and richly patterned textiles. The graceful, elongated figures and refined coloring reflect the International Gothic style at its height.