The Madonna



   The lack of any sense of perspective and the lack of emotion in the face of the Madonna shows that it comes from a much older tradition. The famous Madonna by Cimabue in the Uffizi (below) was painted around twenty years later, but these two works could be a century apart.  Nevertheless, there are some interesting features in Margarito's painting. 

    The throne she is sitting on is a cut-down version of Solomon's as described in 1 Kings Chapter 10 v 18 - 20:

  Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind;  and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; and there was not the like made in any kingdom. 

   In the four corners there are the four symbols of the evangelists: the winged man for Matthew, the Eagle for John, the winged lion for Mark, and the Ox for Luke.

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