Description
The Louvre Maestà is one of Cimabue’s most important works and one of the clearest examples of the transformation of Italian painting during the thirteenth century. Conceived as a monumental devotional image, it depicts the Virgin enthroned with the Christ Child and surrounded by six angels.
The composition still preserves many elements of Byzantine tradition, yet it introduces significant innovations in the representation of space, bodily presence and the relationship among the figures. The Virgin occupies the absolute centre of the composition and sits upon a large architectural throne. Her greater scale establishes a clear visual hierarchy, while the Child rests on her lap and raises one hand in blessing. The original frame, filled with small images of sacred figures, forms part of the painting's meaning and connects the central Madonna to a wider Christian history.
