The Assumption of Mary with saints Julian and Minias of Florence by Andrea del Castagno was commissioned on 20 November,1449 by the rector of a small Florentine church of San Miniato fra le Torri in Florence. Despite its religious setup, the history of the painting was forgotten until it was identified in 1910 by the Italian Art Historian Count Carlo Gamba. The painting depicts the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which is represented through Mary’s descent to the heavenly realm three days after her death. Mary is shown as dressed in a dark nun-like robe, her hands clasped in prayer as she gazes upwards. A mandorla-like halo is formed by luminous clouds surrounding her, which emphasises her sacred status and separation from the earthly world. Four angles are placed symmetrically on either side, and their flowing garments and animated poses creates a sense of movement as they lift the Virgin from an empty sarcophagus. The angel positioned at the lower left is shown in a third-quarter view, an unconventional approach used by the artist during the time. The treatment of angels with varied poses by Castagno is praised even in the works of Italian biographer Giorgio Vasari. The empty sarcophagus depicted below is blooming with lilies and roses, details taken from the Golden legend, a 13th century collection of hagiographies. According to the text, these flowers surrounded Mary’s tomb at the time of her assumption. Symbolically, roses depict martyrdom, whereas lilies represent purity, virginity, and the presence of angels. The two saints in standing postures on either side of the Virgin are Saint Julian (left) and Saint Minias (right). Saint Julian, known as the hopsitaller, is portrayed as a youthful knight. He faces outwards towards the viewer, and holds his traditional attribute, the sword, with both his hands. The sword refers to the legend of the mistaken killing of his parents by him before dedicating his life to charity and service for the poor. During the time this painting was created, Saint Julian was known as the saint of inns and hospitality. On the other side, Saint Minias, the patron of the church for which the altarpiece was commissioned is portrayed. Unlike Julian, Minias has directed his gaze upwards towards the ascending Virgin. According to tradition, he was a Christian soldier martyred near Florence during the third century. Later traditions have identified him with an Armenian prince, which can be justified with the presence of the crown and sceptre in his hand as depicted in the painting. His halo shows similarity with the fiery clouds surrounding the Virgin. The painting shows a combination of medieval painting traditions with emerging Renaissance ideals. The gold background used in the medieval paintings is contrasted with the realistic figures and this coexistence highlights the shift to realism and naturalism which were propagated during the Renaissance period in the 15th century. Castagno has used the effect of chiaroscuro in Virgin’s dark blue cloak which has given the figure a three-dimensional approach that stands in contrast with the flatness of the background. At the same time, the painting does not fully follow the principle of spatial construction during renaissance. The placement of saints, angels and the Virgin in the painting appeared to overlap rather than occupy a clearly-defined space. Castagno’s treatment of colour is built around strong contrast between red and gold on one hand, and green and blue on the other. The crimson garments of Saint Julian and the vermillion robes of Saint Minias stand out against the golden background. Overall , the Assumption of the Virgin with St.Julian and St.Minias provides an important example of artistic transition in fifteenth-century Florence. The painting has retained elements such as the gold background and symbolic imagery from medieval painting , but it also demonstrates a new interest in naturalism, human anatomy and emotional presence.

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