The Holy Family

506
The Holy Family
1st half 14th c.
Barna da Siena

The late Gothic, gold frame with its pointed arch, and gold background and the abstract setting of mottled marble and floor tiles with mythical animals from the medieval bestiary lend an air of unreality to this picture. The use of multi-coloured marbles is typcial of late Gothic architecture in Siena. "Vertical perspective" (Joseph is at a higher level) gives the impression that the Virgin is in the foreground and Joseph behind her. The Virgin is a typical idealized type of a young maiden with almond-shaped eyes, thin straight nose, and small mouth in the tradition of Duccio's Virgins.