Why was the Rucellai Madonna once believed to have been painted by Cimabue?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Duccio: The Virgin Enthroned with the Child, Surrounded by the Patrons of Siena, Angels, and Saints — Duccio *The Virgin Enthroned with the Child, Surrounded by the Patrons of Siena, Angels, and Saints*, central panel of the *Maestà*, tempera on wood panel by Duccio, 1308–11; in the Siena Opera della Metropolitana, Italy.

The Madonna Rucellai was long attributed to the Florentine painter Cimabue primarily due to the influence of Giorgio Vasari, an influential biographer who likely wished to credit the Florentine school with such a significant masterpiece.1

This attribution remained widely accepted for centuries because the painting shares strong stylistic similarities with Cimabue’s work, particularly in the depiction of the Virgin, the robust nature of the Child, and the faces of the adoring angels. Although a 1285 contract identifying Duccio as the artist was discovered in 1790, it was not definitively linked to this specific altarpiece until 1930.1

While some critics have suggested that these affinities imply Duccio was a pupil or imitator of Cimabue, others argue that such a view overlooks the painting's original stylistic innovations—such as its French Gothic influence and unique light and shade modulation—and ignores the fact that Duccio was already an established, mature artist by the time he received the commission.1