Artwork
Supplicant Soul between Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Supplicant Soul between Saint Peter and Saint Paul is an unspecified painting by Master of Soriguerola. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1400, the panel titled Supplicant Soul between Saint Peter and Saint Paul is a tempera work attributed to the anonymous Master of Soriguerola. It is part of the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona. The composition presents three figures against a flat yellow field, framed by a red border adorned with stylised birds and vines.
Subject & Meaning
At the left stands Saint Peter, identifiable by the golden key he holds, while Saint Paul appears on the right clutching a sword, both dressed in richly coloured robes. Between them a nude figure raises its hands in a gesture of supplication, representing a soul pleading before the two apostles, a visual embodiment of intercession in medieval Christian thought.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a limited palette of saturated reds, blues and yellows, creating a stark contrast that emphasizes the figures. Modelling is achieved through subtle shading that gives the bodies a modest sense of volume, allowing them to appear to advance from the background. The decorative border features linear bird and vine motifs typical of early 15th‑century Iberian panel painting.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the Master of Soriguerola, an anonymous workshop active in the early 1400s, the work has remained in the Catalan region. It entered the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya’s holdings in the early 20th century, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s medieval collection, illustrating devotional art of the period.
Artist & collection
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