This panel comes from the predella (the lowest part) of an altarpiece made for the church of San Domenico, Fiesole, near Florence. Its saints face right toward the central panel, which shows Christ in glory after his resurrection from the dead.
The Virgin kneels at the head of the top row of saints and raises her hands in prayer before Christ, her son. Behind her are two groups of saints; the apostle Peter, with a book and the keys of heaven promised to him by Christ, is next to her. Each saint is painted in great detail, their faces as individual as their costumes. They carry objects associated with their lives or the instruments of their death.
Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order of nuns and friars, is in the top row, wearing the Order’s black and white habit and carrying a lily, his symbol. The church that this panel was made for was in a Dominican convent.
This panel is part of a group of images that formed the predella of an altarpiece made by Fra Angelico for the church of San Domenico, Fiesole, near Florence. Its saints look towards the central panel and to Christ, who appears on it, resurrected from the dead.
The Virgin Mary kneels at the top right, a blue cloak over her head and a star at her shoulder. She holds her hands together in devotion before Christ, her son. Behind her two groups of saints also kneel. Next to her we see Saint Peter, carrying a book and the keys to the kingdom of heaven, promised to him by Jesus. The bearded figure behind him is Saint Paul. He carries a sword – a reminder that he was beheaded for his faith. Its blade once shone silver but the silver leaf has tarnished and blackened.
In the front group, the figures carrying pens (and some with books) are probably supposed to represent the Four Evangelists who wrote the Gospels. Curiously, given that most of the inscriptions in these panels are legible, the saint beneath the Virgin Mary holds out a book with writing represented by scribbles. The others might be disciples, and the figure in the pink and yellow cloak in the centre of the middle row may be Saint Barnabas, the patron saint of the altarpiece’s donor, Barnaba degli Agli. The saint also appears on the panel’s main tier, which is still in San Domenico in Fiesole.
Behind this group is another gathering of saints. Their clothes reflect their occupations and status, and they carry objects associated with events in their lives – or the instruments of their death. In the top row, wearing the black and white habit of the Dominican Order is Saint Dominic, its founder. He carries a lily, his usual symbol. In the same row are several bishop saints, identified by their hats, called mitres. One, in a blue cope decorated with gold fleur-de-lis, carries three golden balls on a red book. This is Saint Nicholas of Bari, and the balls represent the bags of gold that, according to his legend, he secretly donated to three poor sisters, throwing them through the women’s open window at night.
At the head of the middle row is Saint Jerome, who lived in the fourth century. Jerome, as here, was often depicted in the outfit of a cardinal – including the red hat – even though the role of cardinal did not exist in his lifetime; it was an indication of his status in the Church as an advisor to Pope Damasus I. He carries a pen and an open book. The legible inscription bears the name Eustochium, the saint to whom he wrote letters.
The front row is dominated by saints from religious orders: Carmelite monks (the order was founded on Mount Carmel, in the Holy Land) dressed in white, with others in brown habits, possibly Hieronymites (an Augustinian order of hermits inspired by Saint Jerome). The monks are tonsured – their hair is shaved, leaving only a ring of hair around the edges – a sign of religious devotion. The ageing man with long grey hair and beard is Saint Paul, the First Hermit. His extraordinary dress is not fabric but a textile made from woven palm leaves.
