The Healing of Palladia by Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian

The Healing of Palladia by Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian by Fra Angelico is a significant example of early Renaissance painting, created between 1438 and 1440. Executed in tempera and oil on a poplar panel, this piece demonstrates the evolving techniques of the Italian Quattrocento, a period defined by the years 1401 to 1500. This particular panel belongs to a series of seven predella panels originally commissioned for the high altar of the convent church of San Marco in Florence, designed to narrate the lives and posthumous miracles of the twin patron saints of physicians.

The specific scene depicts the moment the Roman woman Palladia is cured after suffering from a severe illness. Palladia had initially refused to pay the obligatory offering after being healed by the twin saints and was subsequently stricken again. Angelico captures the drama of the divine intervention with clarity and compositional balance. The predella format required the artist to use a horizontal space effectively, focusing the viewer’s attention on the central miracle occurring within a detailed interior setting. Angelico’s mastery of light and delicate rendering of figures characterize his devotional style, blending humanist concerns with traditional spiritual clarity necessary for religious commissions of the era.

Following the dispersal of the San Marco altarpiece elements in the late 18th century, this panel found its way into international collections. Today, the painting is a crucial centerpiece of early Italian art housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. As a pivotal work from the 15th century, the painting remains vital for scholars studying the development of narrative art in the region. High-quality fine art prints of this masterwork are widely available today, allowing this historically significant piece to be studied and appreciated by the public domain.