Two Magi and Bishop (triptych, left wing) (verso)

This verso panel depicting Two Magi and a Bishop from a triptych by Bernardo Daddi, dated 1338, reveals the care taken in decorating even the reverse sides of portable devotional works. When a triptych was closed, the outer wings became visible, and patrons expected these surfaces to be painted as well. Daddi's prolific workshop in Florence specialized in such portable devotional objects, producing them in large numbers for the city's wealthy merchant class, who carried them on business travels throughout Italy and beyond.

Painted in egg tempera on panel, the verso decoration is rendered with less elaborate detail than the interior scenes but maintains Daddi's characteristic refinement. The figures of the Magi and Bishop are set against a simple colored ground rather than gold, reflecting the secondary status of exterior panels in the triptych format.