Skip to main content

Gentile da Fabriano, 'The Quaratesi Madonna', 1425

About the work

Overview

This panel formed the centre of an altarpiece commissioned by a member of the Quaratesi family for the high altar of San Niccoló Oltrarno, Florence. It was flanked by Saints Mary Magdalene, Nicholas of Bari, John the Baptist and George; the predella showed scenes from the Life of Saint Nicholas.

The Child holds what seems to be a daisy. The cloth of honour behind the Virgin is silver (now tarnished) glazed with red. The highly decorative nature of the variously patterned luxury textiles, the elaborately tooled gold, and the delicate nature of the figures contrast strongly with the same subject painted by Masaccio a year later. The gable with God the Father is original but within a modern frame.

This painting is on loan from His Majesty The King

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Madonna and Child with Angels (The Quaratesi Madonna)
Artist dates
about 1385 - 1427
Date made
1425
Medium and support
Tempera on wood
Dimensions
139.9 × 83 cm
Acquisition credit
On loan from His Majesty The King
Inventory number
L37
Location
Not on display
Image copyright
On loan from His Majesty The King, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024 | Royal Collection Trust
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

Images