Madonna and Child Enthroned with Donors and Saints Dominic and Elizabeth of Hungary, Lippo Vanni (Italy, active 1344-1376) ca. 1343, tempera on wood, 80 1/4 x 102 1/2 x 6 in. Gift of the Kress Foundation
Ornate wooden altarpiece with three painted portraits inside separate pointed arches. Two smaller wings flank a larger central panel, topped with golden ornate carvings, separated by tiered spires. In the portrait on our left, a man with light skin tone, brown hair, and a short brown beard – Saint Dominic – stands in a black cloak facing the center panel, cradling a red box in his arms. On our right, a woman with ashen skin tone and a long thin neck – St Elizabeth of Hungary – faces the central panel with roses in the gathered fabric of her muted orange dress. In the central panel an oversized woman with ashen skin tone, a long neck, and a long thin nose – The Madonna – sits on a red and white throne draped in a black cloak. In her arms is a baby with light skin tone and short golden hair, dressed in a salmon-colored tunic – the Infant Jesus. Both are depicted with golden rings, or halos, behind their heads, and both look down at two knee-high figures standing before the throne. The diminutive figures, who wear crowns and floor-length capes, gaze up at Madonna and Child. Much of the aged paint is cracked, creating a texture that resembles alligator skin.
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