Saint Apollonia
Sassetta·1435
Historical Context
Sassetta's Saint Apollonia at the National Gallery of Art, painted around 1435, depicts the early Christian martyr whose teeth were extracted during her torture. Her cult was widespread and she was invoked against toothache and dental ailments 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 Egg tempera on panel was the dominant technique of the period
Technical Analysis
The saint holds her attribute of pincers with extracted tooth, rendered with Sassetta's refined linear style and luminous palette in a devotional panel of quiet spiritual dignity.
See It In Person
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