Saint Reparata Being Prepared for Execution 1327 - 1348

Curator: Here we have Bernardo Daddi's "Saint Reparata Being Prepared for Execution," created sometime between 1327 and 1348. Editor: There's something intensely stark about it. Despite the bright golds and colours, the scene feels brutally inevitable. Curator: Absolutely. Daddi presents us with a key moment in the life of Saint Reparata, her imminent martyrdom, framed by the architecture and figures indicative of her persecution under Roman rule. It speaks to the political function of religious imagery at the time, reinforcing dogma. Editor: I’m struck by the artist's technique. Look closely at the layers of tempera, perhaps some gouache, how it builds up the gilded surfaces, creating an almost textile-like quality. The process becomes part of the story. It really is amazing, what they were doing with limited materials, creating something so vibrant that still exists. Curator: It is about visibility, power and patronage. These paintings served a purpose: reinforcing the narratives that supported social structures, the Church being foremost among them. Editor: Do you think the intensive labour put into the surface decoration here—all that gold leaf pressed and burnished —is somewhat ironic, considering its depicting Reparata's earthly sacrifice? Curator: Interesting point, but it is probably to emphasise the glorification aspect to her impending ascendance into Heaven. A promise for the faithful, made possible through this very earthly depiction. Editor: Still, consider the artisan’s investment, versus the content presented. I get a sense that the labour involved could offer different narratives of faith too. Curator: Ultimately, Daddi’s work illustrates not just religious devotion, but also the prevailing power dynamics within Florentine society of the time. Editor: A testament, too, to the enduring dialogue between material practice, faith, and how it shapes—quite literally in this instance—our histories.