Saint Nicholas of Bari

Pietro di Giovanni d'Ambrogio's Saint Nicholas of Bari, painted around 1430 for the Metropolitan Museum, depicts the universally popular bishop-saint in full episcopal vestments. Pietro was a Sienese painter who worked in the refined tradition of Sassetta and the Master of the Osservanza 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 bishop figure is rendered with Sienese elegance and precision, the rich vestments and mitre painted with careful attention to decorative detail in the refined tempera technique characteristic of the school.