Madonna of humility

The painting bears the inscription Nostra Domina de Humilitate, with the low cushion intended to express her humility.

[6] A Virgin of humility fresco by Simone Martini survives in the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France.

[6] Domenico di Bartolo's Madonna of Humility, painted in 1433, was described by art historian Andrew Ladis as one of the most innovative devotional images of the early Renaissance.

[9] The formal symmetry of the strips below her feet and those hovering above her symbolize the harmony of her human nature and status as an earthly woman, with her heavenly queenship.

[13] Other key examples include Bernardo Daddi's central panel in the De Carlo Triptych in which the Madonna is shown sitting in a very low chair, rather than on a cushion.

[15] Giovanni di Paolo's depiction of about 1456 (see gallery below) represents a transition in the perception of nature, with the visual landscape forming itself around the seated Madonna.