Follower of Pietro Lorenzetti
Italian painter, active around 1360
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels
1360/70
Tempera and gold leaf on panel
41 x 25 5/16 inches (104.14 x 64.294 centimeters)
Samuel H. Kress Collection
1961.037.000 KG

A follower of Sienese master Pietro Lorenzetti painted this panel between 1360 and 1370. The Virgin Mary was the patron saint of Siena, and she was seen both as a protector and one who could intercede with her son on behalf of the faithful, an especially important role at this time. The first wave of bubonic plague, the Black Death, devastated Europe beginning in 1347, and demand for religious images increased during this troubled period.