Polyptych of the doctors of the Church

This Polyptych of the Doctors of the Church at the Uffizi demonstrates Antonello da Messina's mastery of the polyptych format alongside his revolutionary oil technique. The Doctors of the Church — Jerome, Gregory, Augustine, and Ambrose — were the authoritative interpreters of Christian doctrine whose writings had shaped Catholic theology since the patristic era. Antonello's treatment gives each Doctor his identifying attributes within the polyptych's separate panels, combining the hierarchical structure of traditional Sicilian altarpieces with the naturalistic surface quality achieved through his Netherlandish-influenced oil medium. The Uffizi's possession of this altarpiece preserves a significant example of his southern Italian production.

The polyptych panels demonstrate Antonello's characteristic luminous oil technique, each saint rendered with the precise, gem-like surface quality that distinguished his work from the tempera tradition of contemporary Italian painters.