▁Santa ▁Maria ▁Nov ella ▁in ▁Florence . ▁No ▁contemporary ▁documents ▁record ▁the ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁fres co , ▁but ▁recently ▁references ▁to ▁ownership ▁of ▁a ▁tomb ▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁fres co ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁records ▁of ▁the ▁Bert i ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁Nov ella ▁Qu arter ▁of ▁Florence ; ▁this ▁working - class ▁family ▁expressed ▁a ▁long - standing ▁dev otion ▁to ▁the ▁Tr inity , ▁and ▁may ▁well ▁have ▁commission ed ▁Mas ac cio ' s ▁painting . ▁Probably ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁male ▁patron ▁who ▁is ▁represented ▁to ▁the ▁left ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁in ▁the ▁painting , ▁while ▁his ▁wife ▁is ▁right ▁of ▁St . ▁John ▁the ▁Evangel ist . ▁The ▁fres co , ▁considered ▁by ▁many ▁to ▁be ▁Mas ac cio ' s ▁master work , ▁is ▁the ▁earliest ▁surv iving ▁painting ▁to ▁use ▁system atic ▁linear ▁perspective , ▁possibly ▁de vised ▁by ▁Mas ac cio ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁Brun ell esch i . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁reconst ruction ▁Mas ac cio ▁started ▁by ▁producing ▁a ▁rough ▁drawing ▁of ▁the ▁composition ▁and ▁perspective ▁lines ▁on ▁the ▁wall . ▁The ▁drawing ▁was ▁covered ▁with ▁fresh ▁pl aster ▁for ▁making ▁the ▁fres co . ▁To ▁ensure ▁the ▁precise ▁transfer ▁of ▁the ▁perspective ▁lines ▁from ▁the ▁sketch ▁to ▁the ▁pl aster , ▁Mas ac cio ▁inserted ▁a ▁n ail ▁in ▁at ▁the ▁van ishing ▁point ▁under ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁cross ▁and ▁attached ▁strings ▁to ▁it , ▁which ▁he ▁pressed ▁in ▁( or ▁car ved ▁into