Saint Bernardino

Bernardino of Siena, canonised in 1450, was among the most recently declared saints at the time Schiavone painted this panel around 1458, making his inclusion in a polyptych a topical devotional choice. Bernardino was a Franciscan preacher known for fiery sermons and his promotion of the IHS monogram — the first three letters of Jesus's name in Greek — as a devotional emblem. His inclusion alongside older saints signals the patron's engagement with contemporary Franciscan spirituality. The National Gallery panel is a pendant to the others in this polyptych group.

Bernardino is depicted in Franciscan brown habit, holding the IHS tablet that was his principal attribute. Schiavone renders the woollen habit with the same angular fold treatment applied to all drapery, creating visual consistency across the polyptych's panels.