[7] Little is known of his education: one of his first known works, a Madonna and Child (c. 1395–1400, now in Berlin) shows the influence of paintings made in the northern Italian late-Gothic style.

[6] On 6 August 1420, Gentile was in Florence,[10] where he painted his famous altarpiece depicting the Adoration of the Magi (1423) commissioned by Palla Strozzi.

[6] His use of contrasting light brought the figures to life, making them appear more naturally human..[6] His other works in Florence include the Intercession Altarpiece (1420–1423) and the Quaratesi Polyptych (May 1425).

[12] This painting contains a number of unique features and uses the so-called ut vitrum metaphor, that is a special use of light creating glass-like images.

The Nativity scene contains three different sources of light (the moon, the angel above and the Christ child) and represents the first realistic depiction of night in Renaissance art.

[14] Halos painted with patterns based on Mamluk metalworks reveal the types of commercial and artistic exchanges that were taking place in other Italian city-states, like Florence.

[15] The fact that Florence secured two major seaports, Pisa and Livorno, in 1406 and 1421 respectively, illustrates the increased diplomatic ties between the Florentines and Mamluks.

[13] Such inscriptions also appear in the bold, ornamented halo of the Virgin Mary and Joseph, which are divided into four equal parts by rosettes, a design that derives from Mamluk plates.

[18] Halos with pseudo-kufic inscriptions are reflected in several of Gentile da Fabriano's paintings that were produced during his time in Florence including the Coronation of the Virgin from around 1420 and a Madonna with Child and Angels that is part of the Quaratesi Polyptych (1425).