The predella panel “St. Nicholas Saving Three Sisters From Prostitution” is part of Masaccio’s Pisa Altar Polyptych located in the Santa Maria del Carmine Church in Pisa, Italy. It is considered to be Masaccio’s best-documented work as all payments were accurately recorded and his patron is known. This early work was painted in 1426, but due to unfortunate circumstances (the painter died at the age of twenty-seven), it was one of the last pieces he created during his career, which lasted for only about six years.
The predella panel details a scene based on a classic episode in which bishop St. Nicholas saves three sisters from prostitution by supplying them with three bags of gold he had been gifted from God, and it serves as an example of a classic painting style used extensively by Early Renaissance painters. Although St. Nicholas Saving Three Sisters From Prostitution was Masaccio’s last work, many other Early Renaissance painters also used this technique: Simone Martini’s The Angel And The Annunciation (1333) and St. Julius Slaying His Parents (1426) by Filippo Lippi are excellent examples showcasing this approach to the art world.
