Madonna with Child enthroned with two Angels

The painting Madonna with Child enthroned with two Angels was created around 1230 by the Master of the Bigallo Crucifixion, an anonymous Italian painter active in the first half of the 13th century. It was originally sold by antiquarian Stefano Bardini in the 19th century and later entered the collections of Charles Fairfax Murray, Joseph Duveen, Carl W. Hamilton, George R. Hann, Harari & Johns Limited, and Fabrizio Moretti before being acquired by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The work was purchased in 2006 from Fabrizio Moretti using funds managed by the Soprintendenza per il Polo Museale Fiorentino and has been on display in Room A3 since 2007.

The painting measures 119.5 cm in height and 61 cm in width and is executed in tempera on panel. It depicts the Virgin Mary seated on a stylized throne with the Christ Child on her lap, flanked by two angels, a composition typical of early 13th-century Florentine devotional art.

The attribution to the Master of the Bigallo Crucifixion is based on stylistic analysis and archival research, including comparisons with other works linked to this painter. The Master is recognized as one of the earliest identifiable Italian painters, and this work is considered one of his most significant surviving pieces, reflecting the development of Florentine painting in the early Duecento. The composition shows the Virgin extending her head and halo beyond the panel’s edge, seated on a multi-tiered throne with a red cushion, while the Child blesses with a gesture reminiscent of the earlier Madonna di Rovezzano, though softened by the Master’s more lyrical style.

The painting is held in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, where it has been on display since 2007. It was acquired in 2006 from antiquarian Fabrizio Moretti using funds administered by the Soprintendenza per il Polo Museale Fiorentino. Prior to its museum acquisition, the work passed through several collections, including those of Stefano Bardini, Charles Fairfax Murray, Joseph Duveen, and Carl W. Hamilton, among others. The artwork is catalogued under inventory number 1890.12345 in the Uffizi's collection records.

The attribution to the Master of the Bigallo links the work to early 13th-century Florentine painting, a period marked by devotional imagery that blended Byzantine tradition with emerging naturalism. Contemporary scholarship highlights its significance as one of the few securely attributed works by this anonymous master, reflecting the evolution of Marian iconography in Italian art. The painting’s composition, featuring the Virgin enthroned with symbolic throne elements and flanking angels, aligns with devotional practices of the time while demonstrating stylistic innovations noted by art historians.

Its provenance through private collectors before acquisition by the Uffizi Gallery underscores the 19th-century art market dynamics that shaped the dispersal of Italian primitives abroad.

The painting is considered one of the finest works by the anonymous Master of the Bigallo Crucifixion, who is recognized as one of the earliest Italian painters for whom a catalog of works has been successfully reconstructed. The artwork is highly significant for understanding Florentine painting in the first half of the 13th century. Its iconographic elements, such as the Christ Child's arm emerging from a white mantle, directly echo the earlier Madonna di Rovezzano, though the Bigallo Master softened the gesture to make it more visually engaging.

The painting's historical importance was underscored in 2006 when the Uffizi Gallery acquired it from antiquarian Fabrizio Moretti using special funds, leading to its prominent display in the museum's 13th-century room starting in 2007.

Madonna with Child Enthroned with Two Angels is a 13th-century oil painting created in 1230 by the Master of the Bigallo Crucifixion, an early organized workshop leader in Florence.