Madonna and Child Enthroned

This Madonna and Child Enthroned by the Master of San Lucchese, dating to around 1350, takes its attribution from the church of San Lucchese near Poggibonsi in Tuscany. The anonymous master worked in the tradition of mid-Trecento Florentine painting, producing devotional panels for churches in the territories between Florence and Siena. The enthroned Madonna was the quintessential altarpiece subject of the Gothic period, representing the Virgin as Queen of Heaven interceding for the faithful.

Rendered in tempera and gold on panel, the frontal enthroned composition follows the Maestà tradition established by Cimabue and Giotto. The architectural throne and attendant angels create a hieratic spatial setting, while the delicate facial modeling reveals the influence of the post-Giottesque Florentine school.