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
A woman holds a baby on a throne-like platform, surrounded by robed figures, some standing, some kneeling. To the right, a man is nailed to a cross as two others look on, and pointed arches frame small scenes in the corners. The central placement and the crucifixion mark this 1400 tempera as a work of faith and devotion.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, a devotional subject rooted in late medieval Italian religious art.
The painting presents a Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, a devotional subject rooted in late medieval Italian religious art. The composition centers on the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, the principal figures identified in the work's iconography, with additional saints flanking the throne to form a sacra conversazione grouping. Tempera and gold leaf on wood reinforce the sacred character of the imagery, the gilded ground signaling divine presence and the hierarchical arrangement placing the enthroned Madonna as Queen of Heaven.
The subject reflects the devotional function typical of early fifteenth-century Florentine altarpiece panels, where the enthroned Virgin and Child with attendant saints served as objects of veneration and intercessory prayer.
Technique & Style
The work, dated ca. 1400, is executed in tempera on a wooden panel, with additional gold‑leaf decoration typical of early‑15th‑century Florentine altarpieces. The support is a rectangular panel measuring 49.5 cm in height and 28.6 cm in width, upon which the Virgin Mary is enthroned with the Christ Child, surrounded by saints. The composition follows a hierarchical arrangement, emphasizing the sacred narrative through a gold‑background and finely modeled figures.
The surface retains original tempera pigments and gilt details, indicating careful handling and preservation within the Metropolitan Museum’s Friedsam Collection.
History & Provenance
Created around 1400, the tempera and gold leaf painting known as Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is attributed to the Workshop of Bernardo Daddi. The work's provenance traces a significant ownership chain beginning with Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, followed by the collection of Friedrich Lippmann, Jr. It subsequently entered the holdings of Michael Friedsam, whose bequest facilitated its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The piece remains part of the museum's permanent collection, specifically associated with the Michael Friedsam Collection and exhibitions of Florentine paintings.
While the precise commission details are not explicitly recorded in the available records, the work's dating to the early 15th century aligns with the stylistic period of the Daddi workshop in Florence.
The altarpiece titled 'Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints' is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its accession number is recorded under the Michael Friedsam bequest, forming part of the Michael Friedsam Collection, specifically listed as a Florentine painting in the museum’s catalog. The work, executed in tempera on wood with gold leaf, dates to circa 1400 and measures 49.5 × 28.6 cm. It was previously owned by Michael Friedsam before entering the museum’s collection.
The piece has been displayed in exhibitions devoted to the Friedsam Collection and to early Florentine paintings at the Met.
Context
The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints was created circa 1400 in the workshop of Bernardo Daddi, a prominent Florentine painter of the early 15th century;. Executed in tempera on wood with gold leaf, the panel measures 49.5 × 28.6 cm and portrays the Virgin, the infant Christ, and accompanying saints. Its iconography reflects the devotional practices of the period, emphasizing the sacred authority of the Madonna within a hierarchically composed space.
The work entered the collection of Michael Friedsam and has been displayed as part of the Met’s exhibition of Florentine paintings, underscoring its significance within the development of Italian religious art.
Overview
This painting, titled Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, is a tempera work depicting a central religious scene. It features a woman holding an infant, positioned on an elevated, throne-like structure. Surrounding them are various robed figures, some standing, others kneeling in reverence.
The composition also includes a depiction of a crucifixion on the right, observed by two additional figures, and a background characterized by pointed arches and smaller narrative elements in the corners.
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