Saint Lawrence, Saint Michael and the Dragon, the Dormitio Virginis and the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine

Neri di Bicci employed tempera on wooden panel, using a restrained palette dominated by earth tones, muted greens, and gold leaf accents. Figures are arranged in shallow, compartmentalized spaces, with little attempt at spatial depth. Details such as textiles, weapons, and architectural elements are rendered with meticulous care, characteristic of Florentine workshop practices. The style remains rooted in the International Gothic tradition, even as early Renaissance naturalism emerged elsewhere.

Commissioned during the final decade of Neri di Bicci’s career, the painting likely originated in a Florentine religious context, possibly for a family chapel or convent. Its presence in Catalonia by the 19th century suggests it was acquired through ecclesiastical or aristocratic channels, perhaps during periods of Spanish-Italian cultural exchange. The work remained largely undocumented until its inclusion in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya’s collection in the 20th century.

Neri di Bicci operated within a family workshop that spanned three generations, maintaining conservative techniques amid the rapid stylistic shifts of the Renaissance. His patrons favored traditional iconography over innovation, reflecting broader regional tastes in Tuscany. This panel exemplifies the enduring appeal of multi-scene altarpieces in devotional settings, even as artists like Ghirlandaio and Botticelli embraced perspective and humanist ideals.

Though Neri di Bicci is not regarded as a revolutionary figure, his extensive output—over 500 documented works—offers insight into the daily practice of Renaissance workshop production. This panel survives as a representative example of how religious narratives were visually codified for private devotion. Its preservation allows scholars to study the persistence of Gothic conventions in Florentine art well into the late 15th century.