The outpouring of the Holy Spirit

This depiction of Pentecost by Taddeo Gaddi shows the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, a subject of central importance in Gothic ecclesiastical art as it represents the founding moment of the Church. Painted around 1340, when Gaddi was the most prominent painter in Florence following Giotto's death, the work reflects his mature style combining Giottesque spatial clarity with heightened emotional expression. The Pentecost scene was commonly featured in altarpiece predella panels and fresco cycles.

Executed in egg tempera on gold-ground panel, the composition arranges the apostles in a semicircular group beneath radiating tongues of flame. Gaddi's modeling shows confident use of chiaroscuro learned from Giotto, with drapery rendered in volumetric folds and faces displaying individualized expressions.