Little is known of Margarito's activity; he was probably working in Tuscany in the second half of the 13th century. He was one of the first artists from the Italian peninsula to sign his works (including the Gallery's panel), an action which signifies a new self-consciousness on the part of painters. Margarito's 'Virgin and Child Enthroned' is one of the earliest works in the Gallery.
Panels by Margarito have bold lines and bright colours. These elements are drawn from Byzantine and Romanesque prototypes. They emphasise clear, though static, images and narrative; nevertheless captions were deemed necessary, as in the Gallery's Panel.
More realistic ideas about the definition of space and the modelling of form were soon to be developed by Giotto and Cimabue. Most of Margarito's small number of works are either dossals or vertical altarpieces.
Margarito d'Arezzo
documented 1262
Paintings by Margarito d'Arezzo
This is the oldest picture in our collection. It shows the Virgin Mary, seated on a throne with the Christ Child on her lap, within a mandorla (an almond-shaped enclosure). Around them are eight scenes of the lives of various saints; two show Saint John the Evangelist and two show Saint Nicholas....