Saint Margaret

Sassetta's Saint Margaret at the National Gallery of Art depicts the virgin martyr of Antioch who was one of the most widely venerated female saints in the Western Church. Margaret's legendary escape from a dragon made her a popular subject for artists throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance 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.

The saint is rendered with Sassetta's characteristic refinement and luminous color, her figure displaying the elegant proportions and delicate modeling that distinguish his devotional figures.