A Baptism

This baptism scene by the Master of the San Lucchese Altarpiece, an anonymous Tuscan painter active around the mid-fourteenth century, formed part of a larger altarpiece complex from the church of San Lucchese in Poggibonsi. The master takes his name from this dismembered polyptych, and his style reflects the post-Giottesque tradition of mid-Trecento Florence and its surrounding towns. The panel likely served as a predella or narrative wing illustrating sacramental themes.

Executed in egg tempera on panel with gold ground, the composition displays the solid figural modeling and spatial clarity characteristic of the Giottesque tradition. The master's technique shows competent but provincial handling of drapery and architecture.