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Secondary sourcePainting1340

Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Lippo Memmi · 1340

A painted altarpiece showing Thomas Aquinas enthroned among Christ, Moses, Paul, Plato and Aristotle, made soon after his canonization.

A painting made soon after his canonization, showing how the Church presented Aquinas as uniting faith and philosophy.

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Painted altarpiece panel with a gold background. Christ is enthroned at the top within a pointed arch. Below, four evangelist-like figures hold open books. A central monk in black habit holds an open book inscribed with text, surrounded by a dark circle with golden rays. Figures in red and black robes flank him, and a crowd of people with halos and a kneeling figure appear at the bottom.
Lippo Memmi, Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas, 1340. Santa Caterina, Pisa.

About this source

What it is

This panel painting by Lippo Memmi, dating to around 1340 (likely painted near the time of Aquinas's canonization), hangs in the church of Santa Caterina in Pisa. It shows the seated figure of Thomas Aquinas beneath Christ, flanked by Aristotle and Plato, with rays connecting him to the Four Evangelists, Moses and Paul.

Why it matters

The painting is a visual argument about Aquinas's importance: it places him among the greatest sources of wisdom from both Christian and pagan tradition, while a defeated Averroes lies beneath his feet. It reveals how, soon after his death, the Dominican order and the Church presented Aquinas as the great reconciler of faith and ancient philosophy.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the artist placed Aristotle and Plato on either side of Aquinas?
  • What might it mean that Averroes is shown defeated beneath Aquinas's feet?
  • Who do you think this image was made to persuade, and what message was it meant to send?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Thomas Aquinas on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Oil painting of a bearded monk in a dark black habit, seated at a desk with an open book and a stack of books, gazing upward. A crucifix with a figure of Christ hangs at upper right against a dark background.Painting

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Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium

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Engraving of a haloed saint kneeling at left, hand raised in refusal, facing a seated pope wearing a tiara and holding a crosier, with mitred bishops and a canopy behind. Latin caption text below.Painting

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Thomas Aquinas Refuses the Archbishopric of Naples

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Engraving of a young man with a halo kneeling in chains before a group of Dominican friars in black and white habits, who lean toward him; a small inset at upper right shows a kneeling youth before a crucifix. Latin inscription below.Painting

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Thomas Aquinas Joins the Dominican Order

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