Saints Benedict and Apollonia (left) and Saints Paul and Frediano (right) 1483

Filippino Lippi's painting presents two groupings of saints, rendered with oil, where colour, shape, and line construct meaning. On the left, Saints Benedict and Apollonia stand against a backdrop of a distant, ethereal city. On the right, Saints Paul and Frediano are set against a more earthly, domestic scene. The composition directs our gaze through contrasting settings, and emphasizes the interplay between the divine and the human. Notice Lippi's meticulous rendering of the fabrics, which drape over the figures in complex folds, creating a tactile experience. The saints' garments are rendered in bold, saturated colours, with blues, reds and golds which draw attention to their divine status, yet their bare feet connect them to the earth. Lippi uses line and colour to create a visual dialogue, inviting us to reflect on the role of saints as intermediaries between the celestial and the terrestrial, faith and the everyday. While the painting is a window into the religious beliefs of the time, the artist's attention to form elevates it beyond mere iconography.