Saint Nicola da Tolentino.
Niccolò di Pietro·1413
Historical Context
Niccolo di Pietro's Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, painted around 1413, depicts the Augustinian friar whose cult was particularly strong in the Veneto. Nicholas was canonized in 1446, but his veneration was well established long before his formal recognition by the Church 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 Augustinian saint is rendered in his black habit with the star attribute, painted in the Venetian Gothic style with gold ground and the decorative refinement characteristic of Niccolo di Pietro's devotional panels.
