This painting originates from a predella representing St. Anthony in bust form, tonsured and dressed in a Franciscan habit, and holding the open Book and crucifix in his hands.
The saint is depicted with a double halo containing his name in golden Gothic lettering, directing our attention to similar solutions found in what are assumed to be the predellas of the altarpiece of Paradise, at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and the National Museum in Poznan. The image is placed against a background of a city composed of numerous palaces, brightly lit on the left side, and dark on the right side. It is a quite unusual representation of St. Anthony Reading.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.