c. 1450

The Death of Saint Giles

Spanish (active Valencia), c. 1411, died 1485 or 1492

Giles was a seventh-century Athenian aristocrat who withdrew from the world to live as a hermit in southern France. He lived in solitude for many years, a deer his only companion, until hunters working for the local monarch discovered his refuge and he was persuaded to construct a monastery for Benedictine monks. Here Giles is shown on his deathbed: monks in mourning surround him, angels bring his soul to heaven, and the saint’s hind sits on the floor before him.