Madonna and Child

Lippo Memmi’s ‘Madonna and Child’ is painted in tempera and gold on poplar panel. Created around c. 1350, it reflects the Sienese tradition. Cleveland Museum of Art.

The support is poplar, a standard choice in 14th-century Italy. The use of gold leaf highlights the divine subject matter.

Provenance details are sparse, typical for works of this period. The Cleveland Museum of Art acquired it, but earlier history remains unclear.

Lippo Memmi was a follower and brother-in-law of Simone Martini. He was active at the Papal court in Avignon and later returned to Siena.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, https://clevelandart.org/art/1952.110