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Gherardo di Jacopo Starnina (Master of the Bambino Vispo), 'The Beheading of Saint Margaret (?)', probably about 1409

About the work

Overview

The small size and rectangular shape of this panel indicate that it once formed part of a predella – that is the lowest section of an altarpiece. Predellas usually illustrated events from the lives of the saints depicted in the main section of the altarpiece. The saint who is about to be beheaded here, for her Christian faith, has been identified as Saint Margaret of Antioch. This is on account of the cross-shape she has formed with her thumbs as she prays, which may refer to the legend that Saint Margaret fought off the devil – in the form of a dragon – by making the sign of the cross with her hands. Her legend also recounts that she asked to pray before her execution. Starnina, a Florentine painter, has chosen to show the moment at which the executioner is just about to strike. This panel has been connected to an altarpiece in the Martin von Wagner Museum in Würzburg which includes a panel showing Saint Margaret of Antioch, who is shown with a slain dragon at her feet, with Saint Philip.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Beheading of Saint Margaret (?)
Artist dates
about 1364 - 1413
Date made
probably about 1409
Medium and support
egg tempera on wood
Dimensions
42.3 × 65.2 cm
Acquisition credit
Mond Bequest, 1924
Inventory number
NG3926
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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