St. Thomas Aquinas Confounding Averroës
1445-50
Giovanni di Paolo turns a high-stakes theological debate into a medieval classroom comedy. St. Thomas Aquinas sits high on his throne, preaching with such intensity that the great Islamic philosopher Averroës is literally floored—sprawled out on the ground in the foreground, clutching a book as if knocked unconscious by the argument. To the right, another scholar rests his head in his hand, looking utterly exhausted, perhaps bored by the lecture or overwhelmed by the logic. Painted with the glittering gold background typical of the Sienese Gothic style, this piece captures the moment Christian doctrine supposedly triumphed over rival philosophy, but it looks more like a very long, very boring sermon where the audience has simply given up.
- Technique
- Tempera on wood panel
- Material
- Gold leaf
Location: National Gallery, London