Virgin and Child

Sano di Pietro was the most prolific artist in 15^th-century Siena, and his emphasis on surface decoration—note the haloes, punched into the gold background—appealed to the local market. In addition to his extensive public commissions, he produced numerous devotional works for private clients, such as this compact Virgin and Child. The infant Jesus holds a banner with diligite giv-, the beginning of the first sentence of the Book of Wisdom: “Love justice, you rulers of the earth.”