Saint Philip

Spinello Aretino, the leading painter of Arezzo in the late fourteenth century and one of the most prolific fresco painters of his generation, created this Saint Philip around 1384. Spinello's vigorous, narrative style was shaped by the Florentine tradition of Giotto and Orcagna but possessed a distinctive energy and expressive power. Now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this panel likely formed part of a polyptych and reflects the wide influence of Aretine painting across Tuscany during the late Trecento.

Executed in egg tempera and gold leaf on panel, this Saint Philip displays Spinello Aretino's characteristically bold modeling and strong contour lines. The apostle's drapery is rendered with confident, broad folds and warm coloring, demonstrating the artist's fresco painter's approach to panel work—direct, forceful, and volumetric.