Madonna enthroned with child and two Angels

The Master of the Bigallo Crucifixion, an anonymous Florentine painter active around 1230–1270, created this enthroned Madonna with child and angels in a style that bridges the Romanesque and Gothic periods. The hieratic frontality of the Virgin reflects lingering Byzantine influence, while the angels' more naturalistic poses hint at the changes Cimabue would soon introduce. Such monumental Madonna panels served as focal points for devotion in Florentine churches.

Egg tempera on gold-ground panel with the figures rendered in a formal, icon-like manner. The artist combines schematic Byzantine drapery patterns with subtle modeling that suggests emerging awareness of three-dimensional form.