Extraordinary Duccio Purchased by the Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has concluded a deal to purchase a work by 14th-century artist Duccio di Buoninsegna for at least $45 million, an amount greater than the museum has paid for any other single work of art. "Madonna and Child" is an 8-by-11 inch work painted in tempera and gold on a wood panel, and is the first Duccio purchased by the Met.

Duccio di Buoninsegna was a contemporary of Giotto di Bondone (considered by some to be the "Father of the Renaissance"), and although he was nearly as notable, surviving works by him are very rare. His only signed work is his famous Maestà, a huge altarpiece made for the cathedral of Siena. Most of Duccio's works on display in various museums are fragments of this altarpiece. But the "Madonna and Child" is a complete work in and of itself.

For more about the sale, including a detail from "Madonna and Child," visit the New York Times article by Carol Vogel.

For two pages of online images of works by Duccio (thumbnails lead to large, vivid scans) and a brief bio, visit the Duccio page at Carol Gerten's Fine Art Museum.

For a marvelous online experience in art exploration, visit the Met's website.