Early Christian Art (pt. 12)

Duccio di Buoninsegna created a panel painting for the altar at the Cathedral of Sienna, which was called the Maestà ("majesty") Altarpiece.  It shows the Virgin Mary (or Madonna) enthroned as the Queen of Heaven (…yep, definitely Catholic…) as well as scenes from Christ's life.

Notice all the gold; this is typical Byzantine style, along with the intense colors, 2-dimensional figures, and shallow space (by shallow space I mean: look how crowded everyone is up there).  However, this altarpiece is more realistic and solid and not as stiff as some other examples of art during this time.  There appear to be emotions on the figures' faces, making them slightly "more human and less holy."