Saints Peter, Martha, Mary Magdalen, and Leonard

Commissioned for a church in the painter’s hometown of Correggio, the four saints were chosen by the patron, Melchiore Fassi. Correggio was one of the most original painters of the Renaissance, and in this early picture he explored ideas put into circulation by Leonardo da Vinci, seeking a haunting ambiguity of expression and a soft, enveloping light.

This oil on canvas measures 87 1/4 x 63 3/4 inches and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum mof Art in New York City.

Four saints, each appearing to be lost in thought, are shown before a dark forest grove and illuminated by a soft light.