Primary sourcePaintingc. 1300-1310

Madonna Enthroned

Giotto di Bondone · c. 1300-1310

A large altarpiece by Giotto showing the Virgin Mary and Christ Child enthroned among saints and angels.

One of Giotto's major surviving panel paintings, showing his break from Byzantine flatness toward naturalism.

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Painting of the Virgin Mary seated on a throne holding the Christ Child, surrounded by gold-leaf background, angels in green and white robes, and haloed saints in a Gothic arched frame. — Giotto di Bondone, Madonna Enthroned (Ognissanti Madonna), c. 1300-1310. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

About this source

What it is

Madonna Enthroned, also known as the Ognissanti Madonna, is a tempera panel painting by Giotto, now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It shows the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the Christ Child on her lap, surrounded by saints and angels, a composition known as a Maestà. It was painted for the high altar of the Ognissanti church in Florence.

Why it matters

Often called one of the first works of Italian Renaissance painting, it shows Giotto moving beyond the flat gold backgrounds of Byzantine art to give the Virgin's body real weight and solidity, like a statue. Comparisons with earlier Maestà paintings by artists such as Cimabue help historians trace how Giotto's style changed Italian art.

Look closer

How does the Virgin's body look different from a flat, symbolic figure?
Why is the Christ Child shown so much larger than the surrounding saints?
What clues in the throne's decoration tell you about the period's craftsmanship?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Giotto on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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