Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Title: Maesta (conjectural reconstruction of front view)
  • Creator:
  • Description: The enthroned Virgin and Child sit among angels and saints. In the left foreground stand St. Ansanus, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Savinus. To the right are St. Crescentius, St. John the Baptist, St. Victor, and St. Agnes. The small crowning panels display scenes from the life of the Virgin, beginning with the Annunciation and ending with the Dormition. The predella panels also feature the Virgin but depict moments in Christ's childhood, thus subtly weaving together the lives of Mary and Christ. The Maesta was a double-sided work. This side, heavy in Marian imagery, would have faced the laity while a view of the back (not shown) was reserved for the clergy.
  • Source: Wikimedia Commons
  • Rights: Public Domain
  • Subject (See Also): Altarpieces Angels Mary, Virgin, Saint and Child in Art
  • Geographic Area: Italy
  • Century: 14
  • Date: 1308-1311
  • Related Work: Maesta. See the front and back panels with close-up views on David Orme's website: http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/maesta1.htm
  • Current Location: Siena, Opera della Metropolitana
  • Original Location:
  • Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Paintings
  • Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Panel; Tempera; Gold
  • Donor:
  • Height/Width/Length(cm): //
  • Inscription:
  • Related Resources: