Central panel of the triptych

Taddeo Gaddi's Central Panel of the Triptych presents a devotional ensemble typical of the portable triptych format that Gaddi and his workshop produced in large numbers for private devotion. Gaddi, who had trained directly under Giotto in one of the longest recorded master-pupil relationships in the history of art, developed the Giottesque tradition's spatial solidity and emotional directness in a more commercially accessible format suited to private patrons. His triptych productions represent the Florentine Trecento tradition at its most practically oriented, making the revolutionary narrative and spatial achievements of Giotto available to a broad devotional market.

Executed in egg tempera and gold leaf on panel, the triptych format features a pointed Gothic arch framing the central composition. Gaddi's modeling shows Giotto's influence in its volumetric solidity, while the decorative gold tooling and elegant drapery patterns reveal the refined craftsmanship of Florentine panel production.