Giorgio Schiavone, 'Saint Bernardino', probably about 1456-61
About the work
Overview
An old man in a grey habit, cheeks sunken and toothless mouth drawn down, clasps his hands in prayer. This is Bernardino of Siena, the most famous and charismatic Italian preacher of the early fifteenth century. On his chest is a red medallion with gold lettering; it reads ‘IHS’, the monogram of the name of Jesus, to which Bernardino encouraged devotion.
The figure once stood at the left side of a large polyptych (a multi-panelled altarpiece) painted for the church of San Niccolò in Padua by Giorgio Schiavone. It was made for the funerary chapel of the wealthy Roberti family, which was dedicated to Bernardino.
This is one of the earliest paintings in our collection that is based on an identifiable person, although it was not made until after Bernardino’s death. The preacher was well known in Padua; Schiavone possibly even saw him, as Bernardino was said to have visited the artist’s teacher, Squarcione.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Saint Bernardino
- Artist
- Giorgio Schiavone
- Artist dates
- 1436/7 - 1504
- Part of the series
- S. Niccolò Altarpiece, Padua
- Date made
- probably about 1456-61
- Medium and support
- egg tempera on wood
- Dimensions
- 72 × 25.2 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1860
- Inventory number
- NG630.2
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986 and supplemented by Anna McGee; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1951Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, London 1951
-
1986Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, revised edn, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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.
Images
About the series: S. Niccolò Altarpiece, Padua

Overview
This two-tier altarpiece was painted between about 1456 and 1461 for the funerary chapel of the wealthy Roberti family in the church of San Nicolò in Padua. Its altar was dedicated to the Franciscan missionary Bernardino of Siena, seen among the full-length saints in the lower tier. He was canonised in 1450, shortly before Giovanni de Roberti left funds in his will for the chapel’s construction.
Other saints were chosen for their special significance for members of the Roberti family. John the Baptist was the name saint of Giovanni de Roberti. His sons Antonio and Piero were represented by Anthony of Padua and Peter Martyr, who were also the patron saints of Padua. The altarpiece must have had an elaborate original frame, which has been lost.
The illusory label attached to the base of the Virgin’s throne in the centre panel identifies the altarpiece as the work of Giorgio Schiavone, a disciple of Francesco Squarcione. ‘Schiavone’ means ‘the Slavonian’, referring to the fact that the artist came from Dalmatia (in modern-day Croatia).