Artwork
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Taddeo Gaddi. It dates from 1340 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1340, *The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit* is a tempera panel by the Florentine painter Taddeo Gaddi. Executed during the late medieval period, the work is now part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. It presents a compact, devotional scene that follows the conventions of 14th‑century Italian religious art.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre of the composition a figure dressed in blue clasps her hands in prayer, surrounded by a group of haloed individuals. Above them a dove descends, a traditional emblem of the Holy Spirit, indicating the moment of divine inspiration or Pentecost. The arrangement emphasizes collective reverence and the transmission of spiritual grace.
Technique & Style
Gaddi worked within the Byzantine‑derived visual language inherited from his master Giotto, employing a restrained palette and clear outlines. The figures are rendered with solid, blocky forms and limited modeling, while the background consists of a flat, neutral tone that focuses attention on the sacred actors. The dove is painted with delicate feathering, providing a subtle contrast.
History & Provenance
Born in Florence around 1290, Gaddi entered Giotto’s workshop in 1313 and remained there until Giotto’s death in 1337, absorbing the master’s innovations while retaining older iconographic habits. After its creation, the panel entered various private collections before being acquired by the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, where it remains on display as an example of early Italian devotional painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Taddeo Gaddi (c. 1290 – 1366) was a medieval Italian painter and architect. He was born in Florence. He was the son of the painter Gaddo di Zanobi, called Gaddo Gaddi. He was a member of Giotto's workshop from 1313…
Saints and Scenes from the Life of the Virgin
Dormition of the Virgin
The Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels
Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels
Madonna and Child Enthroned and Twelve Angels
The Miracle of Pentecost
Virgin and Child Adored by Saints Mary Magdalene and Nicolas of Bari; Christ Crucified with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Four Saints
The Assumption of the Virgin with Busts of the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin of the Annunciation
Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints
The Birth, Naming, and Circumcision of Saint John the Baptist
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost)