Artwork
Christ Enthroned with Saints

Christ Enthroned with Saints is a tempera painting by Bernardo Daddi. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A central figure sits enthroned in a dark robe, a halo behind his head, a red book in one hand and the other raised in blessing. Robed, haloed figures crowd around, looking up with reverence. Daddi sets it against a warm yellow ground for a calm, devotional mood. Tempera, 1350.
Subject & Meaning
Christ Enthroned with Saints is a circa 1350 tempera panel by Bernardo Daddi housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Christ Enthroned with Saints is a circa 1350 tempera panel by Bernardo Daddi housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the composition the central figure of Christ occupies a throne, his hand raised in blessing, while a group of saints and angels flank him, a standard iconography for the heavenly intercessor in Trecento devotional painting. The surrounding saints embody the communion of saints who mediate divine grace, reflecting the period's theological emphasis on communal prayer and the promise of heavenly protection for the faithful.
Technique & Style
Bernardo Daddi created "Christ Enthroned with Saints" circa 1350 as a tempera painting on wooden panel, a technique typical of early Italian Gothic altarpieces. The work portrays the seated Christ flanked by saints, rendered in a balanced composition that emphasizes sacred narrative and restrained color. It was originally produced for devotional use and now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the museum's religious art collection.
The painting's material, tempera applied to a panel, contributes to its distinctive surface texture and durability, while its dimensions (approximately 19.1 × 22.9 cm) reflect the intimate scale of devotional panels of the period.
History & Provenance
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The museum record places the work in its collection, with dimensions of 19.1 cm in height and 22.9 cm in width, aligning with its classification as a tempera on panel by Bernardo Daddi.
Overview
Bernardo Daddi, a prominent Florentine painter of the early Italian Renaissance, created Christ Enthroned with Saints around 1350. This tempera panel exemplifies the stylistic shifts occurring as art transitioned from Gothic traditions toward Renaissance naturalism. The work, now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, showcases Daddi's contribution to developing more lifelike compositions and popularizing smaller, portable devotional pieces.
Context
Bernardo Daddi was a key figure in 14th-century Florentine painting, instrumental in bridging the gap between medieval artistic practices and the emerging Renaissance aesthetic. His proficiency in creating smaller-scale works, such as this one, played a crucial role in the increasing popularity of portable altarpieces. This format allowed for personal devotion outside of larger ecclesiastical settings, reflecting changing religious practices.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bernardo Daddi (c. 1280 – 1348) was an early Italian Renaissance painter and the leading painter of Florence of his generation. He was one of the artists who contributed to the revolutionary art of the Renaissance,…
















