Description
The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel once formed part of the front predella of Duccio’s Maestà for Siena Cathedral. The birth of Christ occupies the centre, framed by two standing prophets. Mary reclines near a dark cave, while angels, shepherds and the bathing of the infant enrich the story.
Made between 1308 and 1311, this unified panel is now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Its prophets linked the scene to the neighbouring episodes of Christ’s infancy, including the Annunciation now in London. The later dispersal of the Maestà panels profoundly changed how this scene is experienced. On the altarpiece it contributed to a vast programme conceived for worship and for Siena’s religious identity. We can now inspect the pigments and incisions more closely, but the rhythm of the complete structure is harder to reconstruct.






