Artwork
Saint Paul
Saint Paul is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Ugolino di Nerio. It dates from 1325 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1325, this panel portrays Saint Paul in a tripartite composition typical of early 14th‑century Italian devotional art. The work is attributed to Ugolino di Nerio, a Sienese painter who was active in both Siena and Florence during the 1310s‑1320s. It now belongs to the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is Saint Paul, identifiable by his halo, dark mantle and the sword that symbolizes his martyrdom and the spiritual warfare he describes in his epistles. Above him, an angel with outstretched wings serves as a celestial intermediary, while the upper register presents two attendant figures, one in red and the other in black, framing the saint within a heavenly hierarchy.
Technique & Style
Ugolino employs the stylised, symbolic language inherited from Byzantine iconography, evident in the flat gold background and the linear, ornamental treatment of drapery. The figures are rendered with a restrained naturalism, their faces marked by solemn expressions and elongated eyes, reflecting the influence of Duccio di Buoninsegna on the Sienese school.
History & Provenance
The panel was likely commissioned for a liturgical setting, possibly an altarpiece or a private devotional object, during Ugolino's period of work for major Florentine basilicas such as Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. It entered the Berlin Gemäldegalerie collection in the early 20th century, where it remains on display.
Context
Produced at a time when Siena’s artistic tradition was expanding into Florence, the painting illustrates the cross‑regional exchange that characterized the early Trecento. Ugolino’s adherence to Byzantine conventions coexisted with emerging naturalistic tendencies, positioning the work at a transitional moment between medieval iconography and the nascent Renaissance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ugolino di Nerio (1280? – 1349) was an Italian painter active in his native city of Siena and in Florence between the years 1317 and 1327. He was a follower of Duccio di Buoninsegna, from whose Maestà some of his…
