Focus on Assumption of the Virgin Between St Minias and St Julian and analyze the Description.
The painting portrays Mary in a wide blue cloak, while she is lifted up from a sepulchre depicted in perspective. The cloak, as typical in Andrea del Castagno, is painted with a heavy use of chiaroscuro. The sepulchre contains roses, a flower usually associated with the Virgin. She is carried within a brilliant mandorla by four angels.
At Mary's sides are St. Julian (left, with a sword) and St. Minias of Florence (right, with a stick and a crown). While the Virgin is portrayed in a realistic posture, the two saints have a more static appearance. Both men are elegantly dressed in the most expensive of contemporary costumes. Not only the damask fabrics, but also the saturated red color indicate the costliness of their garments.The background is in gold leaf.
Andrea del Castagno chiaroscuro St. Minias of Florence St. Julian mandorla Minias of Florence