Virgin Enthroned and Child (Madonna of the Rose)

This “Virgin with the Child”, better known as “Madonna of the Rose”, is the first work of the young Stefano Veneziano, who writes his signature and date (1369) in the left par of the bottom.

This panel stands out for the treasure of its ornaments, in particular for the red dress and the blue mantle of the Virgin, both decorated with arabesques and golden flowers, and for the red throne, adorned with golden friezes on red background.

This descriptive taste and the refined structure of the throne come from Paolo Veneziano’s art and teachings. On the other hands, the consolidation of forms in a pyramidal composition and the natural, affectionate expression of faces seem to testify a strict connection with mainland painting.