Virgin and Child

Born in Modena in central Italy, Barnaba worked mainly
in Genoa, where the older, Byzantine style was
dominant at that time. This art is characterised by a
preference for stylised rather than realistic
representations. This can be seen in the use of
rhythmic gold lines on the Virgin Mary’s robe to indicate
its folds.

The work was made for private prayer. The Latin text
along the bottom reads ‘Barnaba da Modena painted
[this]’ and is a rare early example of an artist’s
signature.