La Maestà: Madonna and child
King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts 2nd Masters Project
For my second year thesis project, I set out to reconstruct an altarpiece in the style of the Tuscan Masters of Medieval Italy. In researching the painting and craft techniques of the period I was able to recreate the process as was described and executed by the masters of the time to produce a gilded icon, painted with egg tempera and mounted in an aedicule style frame which was created using historical examples as reference.
Madonna and Child Altarpieces of Medieval Italy
Icon Painting Process
Preparatory Sketch
Transfer design and apply bole
Gilding and punchwork
Application of initial layers
Further layers applied
Final highlights and details
Construction of the Frame
Assembling wooden body
Application of Gesso
Application of Bole
Gilding
Applying Blue Bole
Composing Calligraphy and Decoration
"Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen."
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."