San Barnaba Altarpiece (c. 1488)
by Sandro BOTTICELLI

The Guild of Doctors and Apothecaries (a very important organization in Florence) commissioned from Botticelli this very grand altarpiece for the church of San Barnaba of which the Guild was the patron. The painting shows the Madonna enthroned with St Catherine of Alexandria, St Augustine, St Barnabas, St John the Baptist, St Ignatius and St Michael.

Only four of the original seven small panel paintings of the altar's predella still remain, these depict scenes from the lives of the saints in the main altar painting, the probable centre was the panel showing a scene of Christ's Passion.

The poor state of preservation of the painting is the result of attempts at restoring and overpainting in the early 18th century. It was also enlarged and only in 1930 was it restored to its original size.

Preview Picture Data File Info Comment
The Virgin and Child with Four Angels and Six Saints (Pala di San Barnaba)
c. 1488
Tempera on panel, 268 x 280 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1056*938
True Color
181 Kb



Pala di San Barnaba (detail)
c. 1488
Tempera on wood
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1063*720
True Color
139 Kb



Pala di San Barnaba (detail)
c. 1488
Tempera on wood
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

908*829
True Color
172 Kb



Vision of St Augustine
c. 1488
Tempera on panel, 20 x 38 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1208*500
True Color
83 Kb



Christ in the Sepulchre
c. 1488
Tempera on panel, 21 x 41 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1210*500
True Color
98 Kb



Salome with the Head of St John the Baptist
c. 1488
Tempera on panel, 21 x 40,5 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1236*500
True Color
79 Kb



Extraction of St Ignatius' Heart
c. 1488
Tempera on panel, 21 x 40,5 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1159*500
True Color
82 Kb




Summary of works by Botticelli
| early paintings | late paintings |
religious paintings | page 1 | page 2 |
| Cappella Sistina | San Barnaba | San Marco |
| allegories | Nastagio | scenic stories | portraits |
| drawings | illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy |