Saint Lawrence.
Niccolò di Pietro·1413
Historical Context
Niccolo di Pietro's Saint Lawrence, painted around 1413, depicts the Roman deacon-martyr with his traditional attribute of the gridiron. Lawrence was one of the most widely venerated saints in the Western Church, and his image appeared in countless altarpiece programs across Italy Altarpieces featuring rows of standing saints served both liturgical and devotional functions, identifying the church's patron saints and giving worshippers specific objects for personal prayer.
Technical Analysis
The deacon-saint is presented in his liturgical vestments with the gridiron clearly displayed, rendered in the Venetian Gothic manner with gold ground and careful decorative detail.
