• Author: Domenico Ghirlandaio
• Date: c. 1493
• Collection: PAINTING
• Technique: Tempera on wood panel
• Dimensions: 225 x 223 cm (with frame)
• Inventory: Inv. 1890 n. 1621

The three saints, instantly recognisable from their traditional attributes (Stephen with the palm of martyrdom; James with the pilgrim’s staff and Peter with the papal keys) are placed in three shell-shaped niches, lined with mixed marble and separated by pilasters decorated with candelabra and palmette motifs, drawn from an ancient repertoire.
The panel comes from the chapel founded by Stefano di Jacopo Boni in 1492 in honour of his eponymous saint in the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi, originally known as Santa Maria al Cestello. The commission for the altarpiece was a way for the patron to celebrate his lineage by choosing saints with the same names as his ancestors.

Between 1513 and 1526, the chapel changed its name and was dedicated to Saint Jerome; for this reason, the figure of Saint Stephen was repainted and changed to that of the Doctor of the Church. This was removed during a 19th century restoration following its acquisition by the State.

The remarkable stylistic quality led to its attribution to Domenico Ghirlandaio, the leading figure of a large family of artists and the owner of one of the largest and best organised workshops in Florence at the time of Lorenzo il Magnifico, where the young Michelangelo Buonarroti also developed his skills.