Tod des Edlen von Celano

These two panels (see inv. no. 10677) are part of an ensemble of twenty-six paintings in total, all of which have the same format and are uniformly framed. They originally decorated a piece of furniture in the Franciscan church of Santa Croce in Florence and are now divided between Florence, Berlin and Munich. They show events from the life of Christ and St Francis that typologically correspond with each other. The two panels in Munich record events from the life of St Francis. They are exemplary of Gaddi’s sovereign mastership, even of the small format. A dynamic narrative and a coloration rich in contrast lend the depictions a unique vitality. As a pupil and assistant of Giotto, Gaddi advanced to become one of the most important painters in Florence after Giotto’s death.