Saint Ambrose

Giusto de' Menabuoi's Saint Ambrose, painted around 1363, depicts the great Church Father and patron saint of Milan, whose authority was frequently invoked in Gothic theological discourse. Giusto was a Florentine-trained painter who became the leading artist of Padua in the late fourteenth century, best known for his extraordinary fresco cycle in the Paduan Baptistery. His work represents a unique synthesis of Florentine spatial construction and the encyclopedic theological programs favored by Paduan patrons.

Executed in tempera and gold on panel, the saint is presented with the hieratic frontality and episcopal vestments appropriate to a Church Father. Giusto's firm figure modeling and clear spatial definition reflect his Florentine training under the influence of Maso di Banco and the Giottesque tradition.