Church of San Lorenzo (San Giovanni Valdarno), Toscana, Italy 1457

Lo Scheggia painted this fresco of two saints in San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy, sometime in the mid-15th century. At this time, artistic patronage often came from religious institutions. The painting depicts two haloed figures in simple brown robes, likely members of the Franciscan order. The figure on the left holds a book, and the one on the right, a tondo. The fresco was painted directly on the wall of the Church of San Lorenzo, integrating art directly into religious practice. Frescoes like this served to educate and inspire the largely illiterate population. To understand this work more fully, we can look at the patronage of the church, the artistic conventions of the time, and the specific iconography associated with these saints. Art history offers a rich understanding of how art and religious institutions shaped society.