Saint Dorothy and the Infant Christ

Francesco di Giorgio's Saint Dorothy and the Infant Christ presents the unusual subject of the Christian martyr saint accompanied by the divine child, a vision or miracle connecting her heavenly sponsorship with the Christ she served through her martyrdom. Dorothy, the Cappadocian virgin martyr who sent flowers from paradise to her persecutors at the moment of her death, was a popular saint in the late medieval period. Francesco di Giorgio's Sienese approach to the subject combines the warmth of the Sienese Madonna tradition with the specific attributes that identify the saintly figure within a clearly miraculous encounter.

Francesco di Giorgio's elegant Sienese style gives the saint a graceful presence, with delicate coloring and the refined draughtsmanship that characterizes his devotional panel paintings.