Saint Paul: Right Main Tier Panel

This panel of Saint Paul formed part of the right main tier of a large polyptych by Niccolò di Pietro Gerini, dating to 1387. Paul, depicted with his traditional attributes of sword and book, was an essential figure in altarpiece programs as the apostle of the Gentiles and co-founder of the Roman Church. Gerini's workshop operated at enormous scale in late Trecento Florence, producing altarpieces for churches, confraternities, and guilds across Tuscany.

Egg tempera on a gold-ground panel with elaborately tooled haloes and borders characteristic of Gerini's workshop. The saint's figure is solidly modeled in the Giottesque manner, with carefully articulated drapery folds and a dignified, frontal bearing.