Description
The Castelfiorentino Madonna is one of the most delicate and debated paintings associated with Cimabue. Unlike the monumental enthroned Virgins that characterize much of his production, this panel presents Mary and the Christ Child at half length and on a comparatively intimate scale. The close physical relationship between mother and child becomes one of the defining elements of the composition.
Mary occupies almost the entire pictorial surface. Her broad dark mantle, articulated by delicate golden lines, surrounds the figure and creates a powerful visual structure against the gold ground. Her head inclines slightly and her face retains the gravity of Byzantine imagery, while at the same time conveying a softer and more melancholy expression. The attribution has been discussed in relation to both Cimabue and Duccio. This uncertainty reflects the close artistic connections within late medieval Tuscan painting.
