Saint Jerome; Dormitio Virginis; Saint Francis receiving the stigmata

These are three compartments of a predella made between 1440 and 1445. They were probably separated at the end of the 18th century by an altarpiece identified by scholars in the rounded panel with the Assumption of the Virgin between Saints Jerome and Francis, now preserved in the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
The entire complex consisting of the altarpiece and the predella was originally intended to adorn an altar in the Chapel of the Assunta in the Cathedral of Prato. It was the result of a collaboration between the artists Domenico di Michelino and Zanobi Strozzi. Both Florentine painters were among the major advocates of Beato Angelico's style. Recent studies indicate that Zanobi Strozzi was responsible for the central compartment, “Dormition of the Virgin”, and Domenico di Michelino was responsible for the two other compartments, “Saint Jerome” and “Saint Francis receiving the stigmata”.
Located in the first compartment on the left, Saint Jerome is kneeling with a stone in his hand in front of a small crucifix depicting a bleeding Christ. On the ground, a cardinal's hat and behind him a lion, as per traditional iconography. They are surrounded by a landscape of sharp and chipped rocks.
The central compartment depicts the funeral of the Virgin Mary. A traditional basic pattern depicts Mary on the sarcophagus surrounded by angels and Apostles, some of whom hold the shroud flaps. Behind, in the centre, Christ holds a child in his hand, a representation of the Mother’s soul. Unlike the other two tables, which are darker, this table exhibits a tender chromatic quality.
In the third compartment, Saint Francis, on his knees, is receiving the stigmata from an angel appearing in the upper right corner as beams of light. The landscape is also rocky here.