Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints
painter
Giuliano da Rimini
(active Rimini, 1307 - 1324)
Date1307
Place MadeRimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe
MediumTempera and gold on panel
Dimensions164 x 300 cm (64 9/16 x 118 1/8 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP27e46
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryThis altarpiece was made for a religious order of nuns, and the painter specifically tailored its imagery to devout women. It was commissioned by the Order of Clares for the church of S. Giovanni Decollato in Urbania, a small town near Urbino. The order had been co-founded by Saint Clare (1194–1263), who is depicted at the lower left. She was a close follower of Saint Francis, who is shown above her. Three other female saints — Catherine, Agnes, and Lucy— are seen on the lower arcade, while Mary Magdalene is depicted opposite Saint Francis. Clustered around the Virgin’s throne are devout women: some wear habits, one wears a crown. These supplicants represent the order that commissioned the painting, and some of them may be portraits of the wealthy donors. The inscription directly describes the “true” confraternity and the intercessory power of the Virgin.
Source: Alan Chong, "Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints," in Eye of the Beholder, edited by Alan Chong et al. (Boston: ISGM and Beacon Press, 2003): 37.
Id719112
Last Updated8/9/24
EmbARK ObjectID10806
Source ID73
Andrea Mantegna
about 1497-1500
Object/Provenance
