Jacopo di Cione and workshop, 'Adoring Saints: Left Main Tier Panel', 1370-1

This panel was part of the main tier of a large, four-tiered altarpiece, and was placed to the left of a central panel that showed the coronation of the Virgin. It was made for the church of San Pier Maggiore, one of the oldest and most respected churches in Florence. In it, we see saints arranged in five orderly rows that ascend diagonally towards the panel’s right edge, where it meets the central image.

Each saint has been painted in great detail. They each wear different robes (often highly decorated), have different hairstyles and hair colours, and carry objects that identify them. Often, they are painted with objects associated with their martyrdom: Saint Stephen, shown kneeling in the front row, has a flat white stone on his head, a reminder that he was stoned to death for his Christian faith. Next to him, Saint Bartholomew, who was skinned alive, carries a large knife.

On the right of Bartholomew is Saint Peter wearing his usual colours of yellow and blue. He carries a large key and, balanced on his knee, is a model of San Pier Maggiore. The key represents the keys to the kingdom of heaven that Christ had promised him; the building reminds the viewer that Peter is the patron saint of the church, but also that Christ told Peter that he was the rock upon which he would build his church (Matthew 16: 18). He is placed in the position of honour, at the Virgin’s right hand. Many of the saints wear elaborate robes, and the gold leaf decoration would have twinkled in the candlelit church. Saint Mary Magdalene’s red robe, prominent at the left edge of the second tier, is embroidered with the Greek letters ‘IHS’ and ‘XPS’, standing for ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christus’.

The saints included have been carefully selected, probably by the wealthy Florentine Albizzi family who paid for the altarpiece. Saint Peter was the name saint of Piero di Filippo degli Albizzi (who died in 1379), who may have been the painting’s chief patron. He was a director of one of the wool companies owned by the Albizzi family, who made their money trading in this commodity. Saint Stephen was the patron saint of the Florentine wool guild and therefore an important saint for the family, explaining his prominence here. Bartholomew was a common name in the Albizzi family and one particular man, Bartolommeo di Gherardo degli Albizzi (who had died by 1385), was a director of another wool company at the time that the altarpiece was commissioned. His daughter was a nun at convent of San Pier Maggiore. Another Albizzi, Bartolommeo di bellincione degli Albizzi (who died 7 July 1400) was married to a woman called Maddalena, after Mary Magdalene, who occupies an important position here.

Saint Zenobius, Florence’s patron saint and first bishop, is shown centrally in the second row, wearing his bishop’s mitre. The altarpiece played an important role in the ordination of the Bishop of Florence, forming the backdrop to part of the ceremony when the Bishop would sit in a throne in front of this picture. This might be why Saint John the Evangelist, at the right of the second row, is shown holding open his gospel at the words of Revelation: ‘a great multitude... from every nation... standing before the throne and before the Lamb...’ (Revelation 7: 9).