Cardinal of Portugal's Altarpiece

Antonio del Pollaiuolo and his brother Piero executed the Cardinal of Portugal's Altarpiece in 1467 for the Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal in the church of San Miniato al Monte, Florence. The chapel was a memorial to Cardinal Jaime of Portugal, a young prince who died in Florence in 1459, and its decoration was one of the most important collaborative artistic projects of the Florentine Quattrocento, involving Antonio Rossellino for sculpture, Luca della Robbia for the ceiling, and the Pollaiuolo brothers for the altarpiece. The painting depicts saints James, Eustace, and Vincent in a landscape setting.

The altarpiece demonstrates the Pollaiuolo workshop's distinctive synthesis of goldsmith's precision and monumental painting. Antonio's contribution is evident in the dynamic, anatomically precise figures, while the rich decorative surfaces and detailed landscape background show the workshop operating at full capacity for this prestigious commission.