The Virgin and Child
Master of Città di Castello
1305-1320
Here the Master of Cittá di Castello makes a traditional Byzantine Madonna ‘modern’ by giving the Virgin Mary a di-rect gaze and having her hold the infant Christ by the hand. At the same time the artist has retained typical Byzantine features such as Mary’s red robe, the stylised, linear facial features and the gold leaf ground. Seven hundred years have left their mark on the painting. The original Gothic architectural frame has disappeared, the round arch being the only surviving remnant. In several places the figures’ skin tones have disap-peared so that the green underpainting shows through, and there is extensive damage to the colour layer overall. This Virgin and Child presumably originally formed the central part of an altarpiece where it would be flanked by several other panels depicting apostles or saints.
SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen · Image: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Public domain · Text: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark (text: Eva de la Fuente Pedersen), CC0