Who painted Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints?

Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints was painted by Master of San Lucchese in 1345.

Where can I see Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints?

Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints is held by Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

What movement is Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints?

Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints is associated with Byzantine icon painting.

Artwork

Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints

Master of San Lucchese , 1345

Virgin and Child enthroned with eight saints is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Master of San Lucchese. It dates from 1345 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The surrounding figures direct their attention toward the center, emphasizing the Virgin and Child as the primary subjects of veneration.

The painting portrays the Virgin Mary seated on a raised throne holding the infant Christ on her lap. She gazes at the child, who returns her look, establishing an intimate focal point amid the rigid formality of the surrounding figures. Eight saints with gold halos flank the throne, four on each side, arranged in two registers. While the identities of all the saints remain uncertain, scholars have proposed figures such as Saint Peter, Mary Magdalen, John the Baptist, Anthony Abbot, Paul, Augustine, Lawrence, and Catherine of Alexandria. The surrounding figures direct their attention toward the center, emphasizing the Virgin and Child as the primary subjects of veneration. The women at the ends of the columns occupy the highest elevated positions among the flanking figures.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in tempera and gold lead on a wooden panel. The artist employed a flat spatial treatment and linear drapery folds, confining the figures to a shallow pictorial space against a shimmering gold backdrop. The central Virgin wears a deep blue mantle over a red garment, while the Christ Child is clad in red. The surrounding figures display costumes in red, blue, white, and brown tones, some with decorative patterning. All figures feature gold halos with tooled details. The throne features geometric inlaid patterns, diamond motifs, and a red and black patterned base with repeating octagonal designs. The panel has a pointed Gothic arch frame with layered moldings and gold leaf throughout the background and border. The surface shows visible craquelure and pigment losses, particularly in the gold leaf. Unusually, the upper section of the work retains a gold ground, while the lower section shows a floor and decorated wall, with the bottom of the gold ground section appearing to cast a shadow onto the wall, as though it were a tapestry.

History & Provenance

The painting was created around 1345. Historically, the work is believed to have been located in a church in Poggibonsi, specifically at San Lucchese, where it served on the altar. The artist's notname derives from this location. The painting eventually entered the collection of the Gemaldegalerie Berlin, where it is currently housed.

Context

The Master of San Lucchese is an anonymous painter whose oeuvre was first isolated by the art historian Richard Offner. The artist was strongly influenced by Bernardo Daddi. In 1931, Bernard Berenson noted that a related triptych by the artist harked back to Daddi but shared characteristics with Jacopo di Cione, Niccolo di Tommaso, and Giovanni dal Biondo. Works by this master were initially misattributed to other painters, such as Giovanni dal Biondo, before being correctly recognized by scholars like Everett Fahy. Miklos Boskovits significantly amplified the list of pictures attributed to this master in 1975, expanding the corpus established by Offner.