The Master of Marradi was a Florentine painter active during the late fifteenth century. With the revival of classical culture and the increasing secularization of Florentine society at the time, the themes and gods of Greek and Roman mythology became acceptable subjects for painting and sculpture. Here a golden statue of Apollo stands on a column above the altar of a Renaissance temple, the frieze of which bears the inscription “APOLLI SACRUM” (Dedicated to Apollo). Because both were symbolized by light, Apollo was one of the figures of the past who was interpreted as a forerunner of Christ.