Miracle of the Desecrated Host (Scene 5)
by UCCELLO, Paolo, Panel, 43 x 58 cm
The story of the Miracle of the Desecrated Host is told through the following six episodes:
(1) a woman sells the Host to a Jewish merchant;
(2) when the merchant tries to burn it, the Host begins to bleed;
(3) religious procession to reconsecrate the Host;
(4) the woman is punished and an angel descends from heaven;
(5) the Jewish merchant and his family are burnt at the stake;
(6) two angels and two devils fight over the woman’s body.
The panels give us evidence of the artist’s narrative ability, enhanced by lively colours and a charming fairytale mood.