Meliore

(active in Florence 1260-1280 ca.) Madonna Enthroned with Child and Two Angels 1270-1275 ca. wooden panel 118x58 cm Church of Santa Maria a Bagnano A marvelous example of a perfect state of preservation, this work is by Meliore, the famous Fiorentine painter who, in 1260, participated in the battle of Monteaperti, as a document records. In this painting, the Virgin is sitting on a throne covered by precious matetials and padded by long colored pillows; she is covered by a large dark blue mantle completely covered by gilded damask patterns, whose gaudy edge hints at an elementary movement; her face, looking forward, stands out against a large halo, decorated with abundant engraved plant motifs the Madonna wears a vividly colored crown on her head in which an attempt to simulate the presence of precious and colored stones is evident. The Child, also depicted looking forward, is dressed in the old-fashioned way; in his left hand, he clasps a scroll, a traditional attribute of divine knowledge, while he raises his right hand in the act of blessing. Behind the Virgin, two half-length, winged angels appear who present the divine group with a clear gestural expressiveness. Cold and intense colors prevail on this wooden panel, while the forms are distinguished by his typical stylistic elements with clean and precise outlines. A contemporany of the Master of the Magdalene and of Coppo di Matcovaldo, Meliore is characterized, even if within a clearly Byzantine cultural tradition, by its simple, direct language.