Four Musical Angels

These Four Musical Angels by Bernardo Daddi, painted around 1340 and now at Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford, likely formed the pinnacle or upper register of a large altarpiece. Angel musicians were a beloved motif in Italian Gothic art, visualizing the celestial harmony described in scripture and reinforcing the connection between earthly liturgical music and heavenly worship. Daddi's workshop was the most productive in Florence during the 1330s and 1340s, supplying churches and private patrons with devotional works of consistently high quality and gentle beauty.

Painted in egg tempera on gold-ground panel, the four angels are arranged symmetrically with their instruments creating a balanced, decorative composition. Daddi's characteristic refinement is evident in the delicate wing feathers, the softly modeled faces, and the graceful hand positions on the musical instruments.