The Miracles of San Bernardino. The Healing of a Young 1473

Pietro Perugino created this small panel depicting 'The Miracles of San Bernardino, The Healing of a Young' using oil on wood. The composition is dominated by architectural elements framing a distant landscape. The use of linear perspective draws the eye into the background, while figures are arranged in the foreground, creating a clear distinction between the earthly and the divine. The formal structure of the painting relies on a careful arrangement of lines and shapes. The vertical columns and horizontal entablature create a grid-like structure that supports the narrative. Perugino uses symmetry to balance the scene, yet this is disrupted by the positioning of the figures and their gestures, adding a dynamic quality to the otherwise rigid architectural setting. The color palette is subdued, primarily earth tones and muted reds, which lend the painting a sense of serenity and timelessness. The landscape is a perspectival framework, creating a visual language that is both aesthetically pleasing and theologically grounded.