Saint Vincent Panels, third panel

The third panel of Nuno Goncalves' Saint Vincent series depicts the infantes and clergy, including figures traditionally identified as members of the Portuguese royal family. The monumental scale and ambition of the six-panel ensemble is unprecedented in Portuguese art Altarpieces featuring rows of standing saints served both liturgical and devotional functions, identifying the church's patron saints and giving worshippers specific objects for personal prayer.

The panel demonstrates Goncalves' skill in grouping multiple figures within a shallow space, each face painted with individualized features that suggest actual portrait likenesses of contemporary Portuguese notables.