As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, it seems like the right time to talk about some Uffizi masterworks.

Let’s start at the beginning of the Italian Renaissance with Duccio’s break-taking Rucellai Madonna.  This large painting shares a room with two other altarpieces by contemporary artists, whom I’ll discuss in upcoming posts.

 

Duccio, The Rucellai Madonna, 1285-86, tempera on panel, 177″ x 114″

 

 

 

 

I could wax on about this gorgeous work of art, but instead I’ll direct you to the Khan Academy instead:

https://cdn.kastatic.org/KA-youtube-converted/1JL5ZR-ocOs.mp4/1JL5ZR-ocOs.mp4#t=0