Triptych

Agnolo Gaddi's triptych (c. 1388) in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin represents the portable altarpiece format widely used for private devotion among wealthy Florentine families and traveling merchants. Agnolo dominated Florentine painting in the final quarter of the Trecento, completing major fresco cycles including the Legend of the True Cross in Santa Croce. His triptychs were prized for their refined craftsmanship and served both domestic and ecclesiastical functions.

Tempera and gold on three hinged wood panels. The triptych format allows the wings to close protectively over the central image, with Agnolo's characteristically soft palette and delicate punchwork decoration in the gold haloes and borders.