Virgin and Child Enthroned with Two Angels Holding a Crown
Ansano Ciampanti·c. 1510
Historical Context
Ansano Ciampanti (also known as Ansano di Michele) was a painter active in Lucca in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. This tempera panel of the Virgin and Child enthroned with two angels holding a crown reflects the conservative devotional taste of Tuscan provincial centers, where the Quattrocento gold-ground tradition persisted well into the early 1500s while Florence was embracing the High Renaissance.
Technical Analysis
The tempera on panel employs the traditional gold-ground technique with carefully modeled figures and ornamental detail. The symmetrical throne composition and delicate handling of the angels' crowning gesture demonstrate skilled workshop practice.
Provenance
Elia Volpi, Florence, to 1910; sold in his sale, Jandolo and Tavazzi, Florence, April 28, 1910, no. 376, as Tuscan School, fifteenth century. Martin A. Ryerson (died 1932), Chicago, by 1914; intermittently on loan to the Art Institute from 1914; bequeathed to the Art Institute, 1933.
