Dormation of the Virgin

Duccio di Buoninsegna's Dormition of the Virgin depicts the Virgin Mary lying on a bier at the center, cradling the infant Christ, as a dense line of apostles and saints crowd around in prayer. Above them a row of angels is set against a gold ground, with rich blues, reds, greens and whites in the garments and gold accents throughout. The composition is tightly frontal and hierarchical, with linear, decorative drapery and a gilded outline that reflects the Byzantine-influenced Sienese Gothic style.