Cesare Nebbia, The Assumption with the Apostles

1350-90
Mosaic
Orvieto Cathedral, Italy

This is the uppermost section of the cathedral's west façade. As is usual in this period, angels carry the Virgin aloft in a mandorla: St. Thomas kneels with her belt in the lower left of the triangular panel.

On the left St. Peter shows the scene to five other apostles:

On the right St. John the Evangelist does the same: John holds a palm branch. Since he is the only apostle not said to have been martyred, the palm may refer to Mary's now having run the race and received the prize (I Corinthians 9:24). The only other individualized apostle is St. Paul, in the red mantle with the sword.

View the apostles on the left in full resolution.
View the center triangle in full resolution.
View the apostles on the right in full resolution.
Read more about images of the Assumption, the apostles as a group, and St. Thomas.

Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.