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Paintings · 18th–19th century
The Madonna in Prayer
In the manner of Bernardo Daddi (Florence, c. 1280–1348)
Artist In the manner of Bernardo Daddi (Florence, c. 1280–1348) Medium Oil or tempera with pounced gold leaf on wood panel Signature No signature Frame Unframed Date 18th or 19th century (presumed) Dimensions 15¾ × 9⅛ inches Condition Craquelure throughout, losses, areas of restoration visible under UV light, areas of raised paint due to warping of wood panel. Recently restored and stabilized.
A striking image of the Virgin Mary alone in quiet and contemplative prayer, viewed as often in trecento art in contrapposto with head turned down towards the viewer’s right. While the iconographic language of the Madonna was fairly standardized at this period, developing out of the tradition of Byzantine iconography, the overall composition, detail, and colour palette are most suggestive of Bernardo Daddi, a pupil of Giotto and one of the foremost Florentine painters in the first half of the 14th century. Particularly notable are the intricate details of the gold patterns in the Virgin’s tunic, with parallels in works by Daddi such as the Virgin Mary with Saints Thomas Aquinas and Paul in the Getty (view at the Getty), and Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC (view at the NGA).
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