3-015-956 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Virgin and Child with Saints Francis, Andrew, Paul, Peter, Stephen, and Louis of Toulouse, c. 1317-21. Six Christian saints occupy arched panels on both sides of the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus, as angels peer down from above. Jesus reappears in the center of the upper tier, surrounded by Hebrew prophets. This painting’s rounded panels and triangular pinnacles suggest the architecture of its original location—it was made for the altar of a church. Altarpieces like this one, with gold backgrounds that would have reflected flickering candlelight, were designed to encourage churchgoers in their devotions.