St Nicholas of Bari with a Benefactor,

um 1393/96

Material / Technology / Carrier

Pappelholz

Dimensions of the object

199,7 x 68,2 cm

Displayed

AP OG Kabinett 1-2

Department

Italian Painting

Genre

Painting

Inventory number

7818

Acquisition

1891 aus Mitteln des Fonds zur Erwerbung älterer Kunstwerke aus florentiner Privatbesitz angekauft

Stock

Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek München

Citation

Agnolo Gaddi, Hl. Nikolaus von Bari mit einem Stifter, um 1393/96, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek München, URL: https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/en/artwork/Qr4D0X04pE (Last updated on 24.03.2025)

These panels (see inv. no. 7818a, 7818b, 7819, 7819a and 7819b) probably come from a two-winged altarpiece that is considered one of the most outstanding accomplishments in the field of Florentine painting due to its exceptional dimensions alone. It is not known where it was originally displayed. While the golden ground holds the figures on a flat plane, the soft modelling of the robes already suggests a greater three-dimensional quality and spatial depth. The high quality of the painting can also be seen in the details of the motifs such as the ornamentation on the hem of the dalmatic worn by St Nicholas and the Venus pudica figure on St Julian’s waistband. The benefactor, portrayed kneeling and turned to the right, would originally have been looking towards the central panel that no longer exists and that very probably depicted the Virgin and Child. Agnolo was Taddeo Gaddi’s son and the last representative of this important Florentine dynasty of painters.