Description
Polyptych No. 47, now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena, is a major altarpiece from the closing phase of Duccio di Buoninsegna's career. The Virgin and Child occupy the central panel, flanked by Saint Agnes, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene. A second tier contains ten patriarchs and prophets, while Christ blessing and four angels crown the structure.
The altarpiece came from the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. Dated to around 1313, it joins a richly articulated wooden framework to a theological conversation between Old Testament texts and Christian imagery. Severe losses of paint have exposed the green underlayers once hidden beneath the flesh tones of some figures. Paint loss has exposed preparatory layers in some faces. Their present colouring must therefore not be mistaken for a reliable record of the artist's original appearance and intentions.






