Scenes from the Life of Sacred Hermits

Bartolo di Fredi's Scenes from the Life of Sacred Hermits (c. 1385) in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin reflects the strong Sienese interest in eremitic spirituality during the late Trecento. Bartolo di Fredi was a leading Sienese painter of the second half of the fourteenth century, known for his vivid narrative cycles including the Old Testament frescoes in San Gimignano's Collegiata. The desert hermit theme resonated with the contemplative religious orders that flourished in Sienese territory.

Tempera and gold on panel. Bartolo di Fredi's narrative style features charming landscape settings with rocky terrain and sparse vegetation, populated by small, expressive figures rendered in the warm palette and decorative linearity characteristic of the Sienese school.