The Healing of the Man Born Blind

Duccio di Buoninsegna's The Healing of the Man Born Blind is a narrative panel from the predella or rear face of the celebrated Maestà altarpiece (1308-1311), commissioned for Siena Cathedral. This scene from the Gospel of John demonstrates Duccio's revolutionary approach to biblical narrative, setting sacred events within convincing architectural spaces that evoke contemporary Italian cityscapes. The Maestà was carried through the streets of Siena in triumphal procession upon its completion.

Painted in egg tempera on panel with gold ground, Duccio arranges the composition across a shallow architectural stage with receding buildings. His figures display the elegant linearity of the Sienese school, with fluid drapery and expressive gestures conveying the miracle's drama.