The Death of St Ephraim and other Scenes from the Lives of the Hermits
about 1480 - 1500
On Display Scottish National Gallery
A winding river and colourful architecture punctuate the rocky wilderness which represents the desert around Thebes in Egypt. Included among the population of wild animals and hermits are recognisable figures such as St Jerome, kneeling before a crucifix at the bottom left, and St Francis, receiving the stigmata (Christ's wounds) at the top, centre right. The figures are small in relation to their setting and the proportions of this fifteenth-century panel suggest that it may have been painted as part of a cassone (chest) or other piece of furniture. This might also account for the appearance of secular figures (who possibly form part of a hunting party) in the composition.
Located In See floorplan
