Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna. Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna, originally called Cimabue's Madonna Carried in Procession through the Streets of Florence, is an oil painting by English artist Frederic Leighton.
Measuring more than two metres tall and more than five metres wide, the canvas was painted by Leighton from 1853 to 1855 in Rome as his first major work. Since 1988 it has been displayed in the National Gallery, London, on long-term loan from the Royal Collection, where it has been previously hung prominently, high above the main vestibule, directly beyond the entrance to the gallery.
Leighton House has an oil sketch for the painting, and several preparatory drawings. The picture shows a scene from the 16th century art historian Giorgio Vasari's description of the 13th century procession of an altarpiece of the Madonna and Child through the streets of Florence.
The Madonna is being carried from the studio of the Florentine artist Cimabue to the church of Santa Maria Novella. Cimabue himself is depicted immediately in front of the Madonna wearing a laurel wreath upon his head.
He is followed by a group including several leading Florentine artistic figures of the day, including his pupil Giotto, the poet Dante Alighieri, the architect Arnolfo di Cambio, the painters Gaddo Gaddi, Andrea Tafi, Buonamico Buffalmacco and Simone Memmi; the sculptor Nicola Pisano, and on horseback at the right edge of the image,
Measuring more than two metres tall and more than five metres wide, the canvas was painted by Leighton from 1853 to 1855 in Rome as his first major work. Since 1988 it has been displayed in the National Gallery, London, on long-term loan from the Royal Collection, where it has been previously hung prominently, high above the main vestibule, directly beyond the entrance to the gallery.
Leighton House has an oil sketch for the painting, and several preparatory drawings. The picture shows a scene from the 16th century art historian Giorgio Vasari's description of the 13th century procession of an altarpiece of the Madonna and Child through the streets of Florence.
The Madonna is being carried from the studio of the Florentine artist Cimabue to the church of Santa Maria Novella. Cimabue himself is depicted immediately in front of the Madonna wearing a laurel wreath upon his head.
He is followed by a group including several leading Florentine artistic figures of the day, including his pupil Giotto, the poet Dante Alighieri, the architect Arnolfo di Cambio, the painters Gaddo Gaddi, Andrea Tafi, Buonamico Buffalmacco and Simone Memmi; the sculptor Nicola Pisano, and on horseback at the right edge of the image,
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