the Saints Peter, Benedict, Julian (?), Stephan (?), and a holy bishop (Nicholas of Bari?)

Executed in tempera on a wooden panel, the painting employs a luminous gold ground that isolates the figures and enhances their jeweled colors. Nardo renders the folds of the robes with meticulous attention, using bright greens, reds, blues, and oranges to convey material richness. The flat background and lack of spatial depth reflect the International Gothic aesthetic prevalent in the period.

The panel was likely commissioned for a private chapel or confraternity in Florence, though its original setting remains undocumented. It entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century, becoming part of the museum’s extensive collection of early Italian panel paintings.

Nardo di Cione worked alongside his brothers, the more famous painter and architect Orcagna, during a time when Florentine art was transitioning from Byzantine rigidity toward greater naturalism. This work illustrates the collaborative workshop environment and the devotional focus of the city’s religious patrons in the decades following the Black Death.