Artwork
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is a tempera painting. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The surface is painted with tempera pigments, while selective areas are highlighted with gold leaf, creating a luminous effect typical of devotional images.
The work is executed on a wooden panel, reflecting the panel painting tradition of early 15th‑century Florence. The surface is painted with tempera pigments, while selective areas are highlighted with gold leaf, creating a luminous effect typical of devotional images. The composition follows a hierarchical arrangement, placing the Virgin enthroned with the Child at the center and surrounding saints in a balanced, symmetrical layout.
Stylistically, the figures exhibit the soft modeling and delicate drapery characteristic of the workshop of Bernardo Daddi, with a restrained use of color that emphasizes the sacred narrative. The painting’s dimensions measure approximately 33 × 20.6 cm, and its creation is dated to the early 15th century.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1400, this tempera and gold leaf panel on wood is attributed to the Workshop of Bernardo Daddi. The work's documented ownership chain begins with Baron Sulzbach, after which it entered the collection of George Blumenthal. Blumenthal subsequently transferred the painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains housed under accession number 41.100.15.
Historically, the panel has been featured in exhibitions including "Florentine Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum" at the Westport Arts Center. The piece depicts the Madonna and Child, consistent with its religious genre classification.
The painting Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It entered the museum's collection through the bequest of the Baron Sulzbach and the philanthropy of George Blumenthal, and is catalogued as part of the museum's European paintings holdings, though an explicit accession number is not published in the available records. The work has been shown in at least two exhibitions: a presentation at the Westport Arts Center and a broader display titled "Florentine Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum," both of which highlighted its status as a 15th‑century religious panel.
Overview
This painting, titled Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, is executed on wood. It presents a central composition featuring the Virgin Mary and Christ Child seated upon a throne. They are flanked by eight haloed saints, arranged in two rows on either side.
The artwork employs a restrained color palette and utilizes light and shadow to define forms and create spatial depth, drawing the viewer into the sacred scene.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the Madonna, depicted in a dark robe over a white undergarment, holding the Christ Child. The Child, wrapped in fabric, extends an arm towards one of the surrounding figures. These eight saints, identifiable by their halos and traditional robes, occupy distinct positions.
Some engage the viewer directly, while others direct their gaze towards the central figures, establishing a devotional focus within the sacred gathering.
Artist & collection
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Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints
