Madonna And Child With Saints

 Niccolo di Pietro Gerini painted this altar piece during the Gothic era. I love the somewhat stilted awkwardness of the figures.  Mary wears her signature blue cloak and an expression that is neither happy nor sad. Baby Jesus looks kind of like a middle aged man, not uncommon in such paintings. The saints and angels all have textures stamped into their gilded halos. Those perfect circles frame the Virgin and her child. Imagine, six hundred years ago, how this would have seemed to glow with heavenly light, telling the story of Christmas.