at first sight we should unhesitatingly pronounce to be Italian of about 1470; yet in spite of this Italian character they bear an armourer's mark of distinctly German origin. These are almost the counterparts of similar armament to be seen on the harness which Queen Margaret's patron saint is depicted wearing.
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Fig. 235. The patron saint
From the portrait of Margaret of Scotland by Van der Goes, painted in 1476.
Collection: H.M. the King
The painters we have named, except perhaps Francesco da Cotignola who was of the next generation, were practically contemporary with the period of the armour they illustrate, working throughout the second half of the XVth century even into the next. Yet all the time they appear to have rigidly restricted themselves to the representation of armour of the great Milanese school. Again, take the famous Giorgione altar-piece in the Duomo of Castelfranco, where it will be noted that the figure of St. Liberale is clothed in beautiful plate armour closely akin to that to which we have been alluding, but with a difference in the formation of the arm defences (Fig. 237).
We cannot close our description of Italian XVth century suits without a further reference to that series of four pictures by Paolo di Nono, better known as Uccello, which were originally painted for the Bartolini family at Gualfonda. One of these is now in the Uffizi, another is in private hands in Florence, another is to be seen at the Louvre, whilst our own National Gallery is fortunate enough to possess the fourth panel (Fig. 238). The accurate rendering of the harness depicted in these pictures gives them something of the value of a pictorial dictionary of armour. The painting in the National Gallery was formerly believed to represent the battle of Sant' Egidio (7th July 1416); but there is now considerable controversy on this point. In any case this Uccello picture remains a document of the very foremost interest;
