Madonna and Child

This intimate Madonna and Child by the Master of Saint Cecilia, a Florentine painter active in the late 13th century, shows the transition from rigid Italo-Byzantine formulas toward the warmer naturalism that would characterize Giotto's circle. The artist, named after a celebrated altarpiece in the Uffizi, was likely a close associate of Giotto and participated in the decoration of the Upper Church at Assisi. Now at the Getty Museum, the panel exemplifies the devotional panel paintings produced for private worship in late Duecento Florence.

Painted in egg tempera on a gold-ground panel, the work displays refined linear draftsmanship and delicate facial modeling. The Virgin's softened expression and the Child's naturalistic gesture of reaching toward his mother distinguish this master's style from more rigid contemporary Byzantine-influenced painters.