A Crowned Female Figure (Saint Elizabeth of Hungary?)

Pietro Lorenzetti painted this image of a crowned female figure, tentatively identified as Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, around 1334. Elizabeth of Hungary, a thirteenth-century princess who renounced worldly wealth to serve the poor, was canonized in 1235 and became one of the most popular saints of the Gothic era, particularly among mendicant orders. The panel is now in the National Gallery, London, and reflects the Sienese Gothic tradition at its most refined.

Executed in egg tempera on panel with gold ground, the crowned figure is rendered with Pietro Lorenzetti's characteristic blend of Sienese decorative elegance and Giottesque three-dimensional modeling. The rich color of the saint's garments and the delicate treatment of the crown demonstrate the artist's mastery of detailed ornamental painting.