St. Augustine’s cope (mantle) was originally covered entirely in silver, which has flaked away over time. The red that we see today is bole, the clay-like pigment used as a base for silver and gold leaf. It is important to realize that with the silver leaf decoration this painting would have shimmered in the church candlelight with a radiance that is almost difficult to imagine today. Object Type: painting. Genre: religious art. Date: circa 1470. Place of creation: Siena. Dimensions: height: 46.5 in (118.1 cm); width: 16.1 in (40.9 cm). Medium: tempera on panel. Depicted People: Augustine of Hippo. Collection: Birmingham Museum of Art. Saint Augustine by Sano di Pietro
