The Virgin Mary with Saints Thomas Aquinas and Paul

Bernardo Daddi

about 1335

Tempera and gold leaf on panel, Tempera

J. Paul Getty Museum

Probably intended for a small chapel, this triptych shows the Virgin Mary in the center flanked by Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Paul. On the left panel Saint Thomas Aquinas wears the Dominican habit and holds a book of his writings. On the right panel, Saint Paul turns toward the Virgin and holds his symbol of martyrdom, the sword. In the center, the Virgin Mary wears a deep rich blue cloak made from ultramarine or lapis lazuli, a very precious and expensive pigment. A pattern of intricate marks called tooling, punched into the gold, defines the halo around her head. The background of the panels is covered with a thin layer of gol