Martyrdom of Saint Agatha in an Initial D

This Martyrdom of Saint Agatha in an Initial D at the Metropolitan Museum combines narrative panel painting with manuscript illumination—the scene framed within a decorated initial letter from a liturgical book, likely an antiphonal or gradual. Agatha, the Sicilian martyr who refused a Roman senator's advances and was tortured by having her breasts cut off, was one of the most widely venerated female martyrs in the medieval calendar. The combination of letter-form and narrative image reflects the specialization of workshops that produced both panel paintings and illuminated manuscripts, and Sano di Pietro's documented activity in both media. The Metropolitan's holding documents the variety of formats in which Sienese devotional imagery circulated.

The martyrdom scene is contained within the decorative framework of the initial letter, Sano di Pietro's miniature painting technique creating a detailed narrative within a tiny format that demonstrates his versatility across scales.