Moretti - edition 2010

Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni
Florence, active from 1369 to 1415 approximately

Madonna col Bambino
Board, cm 74 x 39
Origin: private collection

This table chromatically bright and very pleasant, has fortunately come down to us in excellent condition. The pleasant effects of purple cloth wrapping the child and the implications of the same color on the sleeves of the coat of the Madonna and the elegant details of the hair allow us to attribute the painting to Francesco di Ser Cenni, one of the greatest popularizers of late Gothic painting style in Florence.

In this work you can still catch the reflection of the style of Agnolo Gaddi, filtered and initialed by the unmistakable language that marks every stage of the long career of the Florentine artist. Much of the artist’s life, however, is unknown to date, although some details can be obtained from his few dated works. The first mention of him is regarding his registration in the Arte dei Medici and Speziali in 1392nd. His only signed work is the fresco of the Legend of the Cross executed in 1410 for Chapel of the Cross Day , adjacent to the Church of San Francesco in Volterra.