Madonna and Child with four Saints

This enthroned Madonna and Child with four saints by Guido of Siena, now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena, represents the sacra conversazione type that was central to Sienese altarpiece production in the second half of the thirteenth century. Guido of Siena is recognized as one of the founders of the Sienese school, and his refined adaptation of Byzantine models established the elegant, graceful character that would distinguish Sienese painting from its more austere Florentine counterpart. The inclusion of four saints suggests the panel served as a main altarpiece.

Painted in egg tempera and gold on panel, the work displays Guido's characteristic treatment of the Virgin's throne as an elaborate architectural structure against the burnished gold ground. The four flanking saints are rendered with individualized features and attributes, their drapery falling in the rhythmic linear patterns typical of the Sienese Duecento manner.