Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Martin of Tours and Blaise

Painted around 1476 in the artist's later career, this devotional work by Neri di Bicci demonstrates the enduring importance of religious painting in the Early Renaissance. Neri di Bicci brings distinctive artistic vision to the sacred narrative, creating a work that served both devotional and artistic purposes in fifteenth-century Italian culture. The late fifteenth century saw the rise of great court cultures in Milan, Urbino, and Burgundy, whose princely patrons demanded art of the highest sophistication and learning.

Neri di Bicci employs skilled technique and careful observation to convey the spiritual gravity of the subject. The treatment of the figures shows careful study of earlier masters, while the palette and lighting create the devotional atmosphere the subject demands.