The Massacre of the Innocents

Matteo di Giovanni, who was one of the most prolific Sienese painters of the second half of the fifteenth century, known especially for his dramatic Massacre of the Innocents compositions, created this work around 1480, originally in Siena's Santa Maria della Scala. This work reflects the artistic culture of Siena during the Early Renaissance, when painters were forging new approaches to representation through the study of perspective, anatomy, and natural light.

The panel demonstrates the refined technique of Italian tempera painting, with careful attention to the modulation of light and shadow across drapery folds and the systematic construction of spatial depth.