Madonna and Child, with Saints Peter and John the Evangelist, and Man of Sorrows [entire triptych]

This small triptych was made by one of the most sought-after artists in Florence:Nardo di Cione (Florentine, active from c. 1340; died 1365/1366). It must have been a prized possession. The triptych was made to be used by its owner in private devotion, at home or even away: its size and folding wings made it portable. Because the wings, which close like shutters over theMadonna and Child, with the Man of Sorrows [middle panel]of the Virgin and Child, protected the painted surfaces, Nardo’s artistry has survived in excellent condition. We are able to appreciate to an unusual degree the lyrical delicacy of his style and the gemlike quality of his colors.

Also apparent is the high level of Nardo’s technical skill. Notice, for example, how the deep wrinkles, thick hair, and wiry-looking beard of Saint Peter grant this figure a grave solemnity. Such effects were not easily achieved using the tempera paints employed by Nardo and his contemporaries. Tempera paints, made with pigment and egg yolk, were quick-drying and couldnot—like oils—be blended or built up in translucent layers on the surface of the panel. Instead, delicate, opaquebrushstrokes—all but invisible—were set side by side. Shading was accomplished by light hatching or by juxtaposition of differing tones. Early tempera paintings are sometimes said to have a “linear” quality. In part, this derives from the hard contours that circumscribe painted objects and the lack of convincing tonal gradation from light to dark. By contrast, Nardo’s paintings demonstrate a delicate modeling of light, intermediate, and dark tones to grant his figures the impression of three-dimensional volume.