The Apostles St. John and St Bartholomew

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The Apostles St. John and St Bartholomew
ca. 1345
Paolo Veneziano

The faces of the Apostles are painted in sharp lines in accordance with the Byzantine tradition, in the so-called maniera greca (Greek style), while the hues of vivid blue, red and purple with many golden ornaments are in accordance with the spirit of the Venetian trecento. Although the figures are flat and schematic, an attempt to create plasticity by contrasting the dark shades with lighter areas is discerned in the drapery. This panel was probably a part of a larger polyptych (altar composed of four or more panels).