Virgin and Child
by MEMMI, Lippo, Tempera on wood, 47 x 30 cm
Lippo Memmi, the brother-in-law of Simone Martini, can be considered an artist of the same importance as Simone Martini himself. This small Virgin and Child is a good example of the delicacy of his art which influenced considerably the next generation of painters such as Andrea Vanni.
The figure of the Child in this painting is taken from the Maestà by Simone Martini in the Palazzo Pubblico, Siena. Earlier, in 1317 in San Gimignano, Lippo Memmi had already reproduced Simone Martini’s composition.