The artwork, titled “St. Peter Martyr Altarpiece,” was masterfully created by Fra Angelico between the years 1427 and 1428. Executed in tempera on panel, it epitomizes the Early Renaissance art movement. This religious painting, measuring 137 by 168 cm, is presently housed in the Basilica di San Marco in Florence, Italy.
The artwork prominently features the Madonna, traditionally depicted with the infant Christ seated on her lap, both of whom are resplendently adorned in robes of dark blue and vivid red. Surrounding the central figures are four saints, rendered with solemn reverence. On the left stands Saint Dominic, holding a book and a lily, symbolizing scholarship and purity. Next to him, Saint John the Baptist is depicted with his customary attributes, clad in a camel hair garment and bearing a slender cross. On the right, the Dominican saints St. Peter Martyr and another Dominican friar, whose expressions convey serenity and contemplation, are each depicted with the instruments of their martyrdom or symbols of their religious dedication. The altarpiece is further enriched with intricate Gothic arches above the figures, complemented with angelic cherubs and narrative scenes that embellish the upper register, providing a vivid representation of religious devotion and theological narratives of the period. The meticulous detail, combined with the serene and pensive expressions of the figures, encapsulates the spiritual fervor and artistic sophistication of Fra Angelico’s work during the Early Renaissance.
