The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel

The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel is a predella panel from Duccio di Buoninsegna's monumental Maestà altarpiece, commissioned in 1308 for the high altar of Siena Cathedral. The Maestà was the most ambitious altarpiece of the Gothic period, and its completion in 1311 was celebrated with a civic procession through Siena's streets. This scene pairs the Nativity narrative with flanking prophets who foretold Christ's birth, linking Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment in a sophisticated theological program.

Executed in egg tempera and gold leaf on poplar panel, the work displays Duccio's characteristic fusion of Byzantine iconic solemnity with a new narrative warmth. The figures are modeled with subtle tonal gradations, and the architectural setting shows Duccio's growing interest in spatial depth.