Elegant Young Saint In Prayer – Rare Italian Panel With Gold Ground – Tuscany, 15th Century

A beautiful and captivating Italian Quattrocento panel, executed in egg tempera on a finely stamped gold ground, depicting a young saint in meditation.

Of lanceolate format (33.5 x 18.5 cm), typical of private devotional panels or predellas, this work immediately impresses with the delicacy of its modeling and the pristine quality of its gilded decoration.

The figure, of remarkable youthful grace, is distinguished by a gently inclined face. The lowered gaze and hands crossed over the chest convey a profound sense of contemplation—characteristic of Tuscan art from the mid-15th century, at the crossroads of Gothic tradition and early humanist movements.

The most consistent iconography remains that of an adolescent Saint John the Evangelist, a theme particularly popular in Florentine and Sienese workshops.

Exquisite Gold Decoration

The gold ground, set on a red base, is richly worked with a hallmark: trefoil arches, beaded friezes, and radiating motifs around the halo create a highly elegant design.

The preservation of this hallmarking is exceptional and gives the work a luminous brilliance that is very attractive when displayed.

The deep blue of the garment—likely azurite-based—converses with the red and gold highlights of the braid, creating a typically Italian and particularly decorative chromatic contrast.

Workshop Quality and Attribution

Several elements support an attribution to a 15th-century Tuscan School:

the slender format characteristic of altarpiece panels,

the soft and enveloping modeling of the face,

the typical blue-gold-red palette,

the dense and controlled hallmarking,

the balance between Gothic hieraticism and Renaissance naturalism.

One can point to affinities with Florentine workshops influenced by Fra Angelico or the circle of Bicci di Lorenzo, as well as a sensibility close to certain late Sienese productions.

This is a homogeneous workshop piece of fine quality, retaining its original decoration.

An appealing work for collectors

Small devotional panels from the Quattrocento are particularly sought after today for:

their intimate and easily integrated format,

their decorative brilliance thanks to the gold ground,

their historical importance in the transition to the Renaissance,

their stability on the international market.

This type of panel often constitutes an ideal first acquisition in the field of Italian Primitives, while remaining a refined addition for a seasoned collector.

Condition

Remarkably well-preserved gold ground

Clear and legible hallmarks

Cracks and wear consistent with age

Reverse formerly damaged by wood-boring insects, structure now stabilized

Authenticity fully consistent with a work over 500 years old.

Dimensions

Height: 33.5 cm
Width: 18.5 cm

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