Saints James Major and Stephen (polyptych, panel 5 of 5)

This panel depicting Saints James Major and Stephen, the fifth of five components in a polyptych by Bernardo Daddi dated 1348, represents one of the artist's final works before his death during the Black Death that devastated Florence that year. The plague of 1348 killed an estimated two-thirds of Florence's population and wiped out an entire generation of artists, including Daddi and many of his contemporaries. This polyptych stands as a testament to the refined devotional art that the catastrophe brought to an abrupt end.

Painted in egg tempera on gold-ground panel with pointed Gothic arch framing, the two saints are rendered with the mature refinement of Daddi's late style. The figures display careful attention to liturgical vestments and saintly attributes, with Stephen shown holding the stones of his martyrdom and James bearing his pilgrim's staff.