Saints Matthias and Elizabeth of Hungary (?)

Ugolino di Nerio's Saints Matthias and Elizabeth of Hungary panels belong to the polyptych altarpiece format that this Sienese follower of Duccio produced for multiple churches. Ugolino maintained Duccio's gold-background Byzantine inheritance while developing a more linear and emotionally expressive figure style. Elizabeth of Hungary, the German queen who became famous for her works of charity before entering the Franciscan Third Order, was among the more recently canonized saints in the early fourteenth century, and her inclusion in polyptych programs reflects the quick diffusion of her cult through Franciscan networks.

Painted in egg tempera on gold ground panel, the work shows Ugolino's characteristic delicate modeling and refined drapery patterns derived from Duccio's workshop practice. The saints are rendered with slender proportions and graceful poses against tooled gold backgrounds with decorative punch work.