Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 56 works by Sassetta in our catalogue
In short
Sassetta's best-known piece is Madonna of Humility (1432). You'll find it at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in Berlin. Next on the list are Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail) (1435) and Saint Francis and the Poor Knight, and Francis's Vision (1437). We have 56 works by Sassetta in our catalogue; this guide picks out the 56 best known, with the year, the museum and the story of each piece.
In the quiet sanctity of the early fifteenth century, few images capture the profound intimacy of the divine as gracefully as Sassetta’s Madonna of Humility. Painted around 1432, this masterpiece serves as a breathtaking window into a period where the ethereal meets the earthly. The composition centers on the Virgin Mary, not seated upon a distant, golden throne, but nestled in a posture of profound humility that defines her very…
The panel titled Saint Francis and the Poor Knight, and Francis's Vision emerges from the hand of the artist Sassetta. Created about 1437, this work exists as the first of eight distinct paintings that once formed the back of a large, richly coloured and elaborate altarpiece. It belongs to the larger San Sepolcro Altarpiece, a significant assembly of devotional imagery.
The work is titled The Funeral of Saint Francis and Verification of the Stigmata. It was executed by the artist Sassetta (Stefano Di Giovanni) between 1437 and 1444. This panel functions as the final movement in a larger narrative cycle, serving as the eighth and concluding scene in a series of eight depictions of the life of Saint Francis.
The Agony in the Garden is a poignant and spiritually charged tempera painting from the Early Renaissance period. The composition depicts the biblical scene of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, set against a dark, star-studded nocturnal sky and a landscape of rolling hills and a winding path. In the foreground, several apostles are shown in various states of deep sleep, their bodies slumped and heads bowed in a…
The work titled Saint Francis before the Sultan is a creation of the artist Sassetta. It emerged from the studio between 1437 and 1444. This panel was originally conceived as part of the San Sepolcro Altarpiece, a large and complex structure commissioned for the Franciscans of Borgo Sansepolcro, Italy. The piece functioned as part of a double-sided polyptych, a structural arrangement that allowed the sacred narrative to unfold on both…
In Saint John the Evangelist by Sassetta, a single, elongated figure commands the entire vertical space. The saint occupies the center of the panel, his presence exerting a heavy spiritual gravity that anchors the viewer's gaze. He stands upon a small, rocky ground adorned with intricate patterns, a modest stage for such a monumental figure. The saint holds a book and a stylus, the tools of his sacred vocation, which…
The air feels heavy with the scent of woodsmoke and the weight of a gathering crowd. In this 1423 tempera work, a public execution unfolds under a deep blue sky, framed by the soft, rolling hills of the Italian landscape. At the center of the chaos, a figure is bound to a stake, consumed by bright orange flames that lick upward against the dark, charred tones of the victim. The…
This tempera on poplar panel, dating to c. 1435, presents a solitary figure of Saint Margaret against a shimmering gold ground. The composition is vertical and centered, emphasizing a sense of stillness and spiritual focus. She is draped in a heavy, dark mantle over a deep crimson tunic, her head tilted with a gentle, serene expression. At her feet, a dark, dragon-like creature is visible, a symbolic representation of her…
In this vertical composition, Sassetta presents Saint Apollonia as a single, centered figure. The saint is positioned against a flat, decorative gold background that emphasizes her presence through a sense of divine stillness. Her expression remains calm and contemplative, a quietude that contrasts with the heavy symbolism of her attributes. She holds the pincers used in her martyrdom, a specific detail that identifies her within the religious tradition. This object,…
St. Nicholas of Bari1430
12
Madonna of the Snow Altarpiece1432
13
St Anthony the Hermit Tortured by the Devils1423
14
The Ecstasy of St Francis (detail)1437 · Villa i Tatti
15
The Procession to Calvary1441 · Detroit Institute of Arts
16
The Betrayal of Christ1437 · Detroit Institute of Arts
17
Madonna of Humility1437 · National Gallery of Art
18
St. Anthony of Padua1450
19
Madonna and Child with Angels1437
20
St Matthew1437 · Collezione Vittorio Cini
21
Assumption of Mary with Angel Choirs1450 · Gemäldegalerie
22
The Wolf of Gubbio1450 · National Gallery
23
Virgin of Humility1440 · Collezione Vittorio Cini
24
St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost1423 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
25
Damnation of the Soul of the Miser of Citerna1437 · The Louvre
26
The Ecstasy of St Francis1437 · Villa i Tatti
27
St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost1423 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
28
St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost (detail)1423 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
29
St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost (detail)1423 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
30
Miracle of the Eucharist1423 · Bowes Museum
31
Death of the Heretic on the Bonfire1423 · National Gallery of Victoria
32
St Jerome (detail)1423 · Pinacoteca Nazionale
33
Founding of Santa Maria Maggiore1430
34
The mystical marriage of Saint Francis of Assisi1444
35
The Annunciation "1435 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
36
Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail)1435 · Museo Diocesano
37
The Stigmatisation of St Francis1437 · National Gallery
38
The Blessed Ranieri Frees the Poor from a Prison in Florence1437 · The Louvre
39
Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail)1435 · Museo Diocesano
40
Virgin and Child with Saints1437 · The Louvre
41
The Blessed Ranieri Frees the Poor from a Jail in Florence1444 · The Louvre
42
St Thomas Before the Cross1423 · Vatican Pinacoteca
43
The Blessed Raniero of Borgo San Sepolcro Appearing to a Cardinal in a Dream1444 · Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
44
St. Francis Kneeling before Christ on the CrossCleveland Museum of Art
45
The Last Supper1423 · Pinacoteca Nazionale
46
St Anthony the Hermit Tortured by the Devils1423 · Pinacoteca Nazionale
47
St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost (detail)1423 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
48
Madonna and Child with AngelsMetropolitan Museum of Art
49
The Annunciation
50
The Meeting of St. Anthony and St. PaulNational Gallery of Art
51
The Journey of the Magi1435 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
52
Marriage of St Francis to Lady Poverty1437 · Condé Museum
53
Saint Francis renounces his Earthly Father1437 · National Gallery
54
St. Anthony Beaten by Devils1423 · Pinacoteca Nazionale
55
Madonna of Humility with Four Saints1435 · Museo Diocesano
56
The Virgin and Child with Saints1430 · Galleria degli Uffizi
The four subjects that come up most often in these pieces, each with its best-known example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Sassetta | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Gallery |
London | 6 | Saint Francis and the Poor Knight, and Francis's Vision, The Funeral of Saint Francis, Saint Francis before the Sultan |
 Szépművészeti Múzeum |
Budapest | 5 | St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost, St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost, St Thomas Inspired by the Dove of the Holy Ghost (detail) |
 Museo Diocesano |
Cortona | 4 | Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail), Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail), Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail) |
 National Gallery of Art |
Washington | 4 | Saint Margaret, Saint Apollonia, Madonna of Humility |
 The Louvre |
Paris | 4 | Damnation of the Soul of the Miser of Citerna, The Blessed Ranieri Frees the Poor from a Prison in Florence, Virgin and Child with Saints |
 Pinacoteca Nazionale |
Siena | 4 | St Jerome (detail), The Last Supper, St Anthony the Hermit Tortured by the Devils |
 Detroit Institute of Arts |
Detroit | 3 | The Agony in the Garden, The Procession to Calvary, The Betrayal of Christ |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 3 | The Annunciation ", Madonna and Child with Angels, The Journey of the Magi |
Pick a decade to see its standout piece.
In Saint John the Evangelist by Sassetta, a single, elongated figure commands the entire vertical space. The saint occupies the center of the panel, his presence exerting a heavy spiritual gravity that anchors the viewer's gaze. He stands upon a small, rocky ground adorned with intricate patterns, a modest stage for such a monumental figure. The saint holds a book and a stylus, the tools of his sacred vocation, which…
The air feels heavy with the scent of woodsmoke and the weight of a gathering crowd. In this 1423 tempera work, a public execution unfolds under a deep blue sky, framed by the soft, rolling hills of the Italian landscape. At the center of the chaos, a figure is bound to a stake, consumed by bright orange flames that lick upward against the dark, charred tones of the victim. The…
In the quiet sanctity of the early fifteenth century, few images capture the profound intimacy of the divine as gracefully as Sassetta’s Madonna of Humility. Painted around 1432, this masterpiece serves as a breathtaking window into a period where the ethereal meets the earthly. The composition centers on the Virgin Mary, not seated upon a distant, golden throne, but nestled in a posture of profound humility that defines her very…
The work is titled The Funeral of Saint Francis and Verification of the Stigmata. It was executed by the artist Sassetta (Stefano Di Giovanni) between 1437 and 1444. This panel functions as the final movement in a larger narrative cycle, serving as the eighth and concluding scene in a series of eight depictions of the life of Saint Francis.
The work titled Saint Francis before the Sultan is a creation of the artist Sassetta. It emerged from the studio between 1437 and 1444. This panel was originally conceived as part of the San Sepolcro Altarpiece, a large and complex structure commissioned for the Franciscans of Borgo Sansepolcro, Italy. The piece functioned as part of a double-sided polyptych, a structural arrangement that allowed the sacred narrative to unfold on both…
Top of the list is Madonna of Humility (1432), Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin. Right behind it: Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail) (1435) and Saint Francis and the Poor Knight, and Francis's Vision (1437).
40 years old. Sassetta was born in 1392, and Madonna of Humility dates from 1432.
Madonna of Humility, Virgin with Child and Four Saints (detail), Saint Francis and the Poor Knight, and Francis's Vision, The Funeral of Saint Francis, The Agony in the Garden, Saint Francis before the Sultan, Saint John the Evangelist, The burning of a heretic, Saint Margaret and Saint Apollonia. You'll find the year and the museum of each in the list above.
We have 56 works by Sassetta in our catalogue, dated 1412 to 1450.
You'll find most of them in National Gallery (London), Szépművészeti Múzeum (Budapest) and Museo Diocesano (Cortona). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
In 1430s, more than any other time: 27 of the 56 pieces on this page date from then, Madonna of Humility among them.
The earliest piece here is Saint John the Evangelist (1412); the most recent is Saint Francis before the Sultan (1450).
People (10), Gold background (9) and Woman (7), out of the 56 pieces on this page.
Tempera On Panel, used in 27 of the 56 pieces on this page.
Early renaissance, as you can see in the pieces on this page.
You can see 6 of the pieces on this page at the National Gallery, London, including Saint Francis and the Poor Knight, and Francis's Vision, The Funeral of Saint Francis and Saint Francis before the Sultan.
Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.
In the luminous era of the Italian Quattrocento, few names evoke the delicate transition from the medieval to the modern as poignantly as Stefano di Giovanni, known more affectionately to history as Sassetta. A pivotal figure of the Sienese School, his artistry represents a profound bridge between the decorative elegance of the Late Gothic period and the burgeoning realism of the Renaissance. While the exact origins of his life remain shrouded in the mists of time—with scholars debating whether he was born in Siena or perhaps Cortona—his presence in the Tuscan landscape is undeniable. His work carries the rhythmic, lyrical soul of Siena, yet it breathes with a new, observational vitality that suggests an artist deeply engaged with the changing winds of his age.
Sassetta’s creative journey was one of sophisticated synthesis. He possessed a rare ability to honor the traditional Sienese style—characterized by its intricate detail and spiritual depth—while simultaneously absorbing the revolutionary innovations emerging from Florence. The influence of masters such as Masaccio, Masolino, and Gentile da Fabriano can be felt in his evolving command over spatial relationships and the use of light. He did not merely copy these new techniques; rather, he integrated them to infuse his figures with a naturalistic glow, allowing light to convincingly mold their forms and create a sense of cohesive, breathing space within his compositions.
The oeuvre of Sassetta is a testament to his mastery of narrative painting, where every brushstroke serves a higher spiritual purpose. His works often function as windows into the divine, utilizing a sophisticated color palette and rhythmic compositions to guide the viewer through sacred histories. In masterpieces such as The Last Supper, he demonstrates an extraordinary skill for capturing complex emotional states, using earth tones and careful perspective to ground the profound religious narrative in a palpable, somber reality. His ability to balance the ornamental beauty of the Gothic tradition with a burgeoning sense of human drama makes his panels uniquely captivating.
Beyond the intimate scale of his smaller panels, Sassetta achieved great renown through significant altarpieces and polyptychs that defined the religious landscape of his time. Some of his most notable artistic achievements include:
The historical significance of Sassetta lies in his role as a guardian and an innovator. He ensured that the unique identity of the Sienese School did not vanish in the face of Florentine dominance, but instead evolved to include the new language of realism and depth. His paintings are not merely relics of a bygone era; they are living dialogues between the old world and the new. Through his delicate handling of light, his mastery of symbolic iconography, and his profound empathy for his subjects, Sassetta left an indelible mark on the history of Italian art, securing his place as one of the most important representatives of the Sienese Renaissance.
