Italy, (1395-1455)
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The Virgin and Child with Saints George and Anthony Abbot
- (mid 1400s), egg tempera on poplar
- 18.3 X 11.4 in. (46.5 x 29 cm.)
- National Gallery, London
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Editor’s Note:
This is Pisanello’s only signed panel painting. This work, exceptional both for its elegance and its naturalism, shows the two saints in a landscape with the Virgin and Child above them, clothed with the sun.
Pisanello lovingly crafted the robes of Saint Anthony and the armor of Saint George, reflecting the court fashions of the period. Anthony’s companion pig lays at his feet, giving a curious sniff to George’s vanquished dragon.
About the Artist
Pisanello, Italian, (1395-1455). Pisanello, born Antonio di Puccio Pisano (also Antonio di Puccio da Cereto), was famous in his lifetime and is one of the outstanding artists of the Italian Renaissance. He was a painter, draftsman, and medallist. He was the last and most brilliant artist of the ornate, courtly International Gothic style.