Dated from the mid-15th century, the Virgin of Humility demonstrates the commitment of Giovanni di Paolo to the spirit of 14^th-century Sienese painting and the International Gothic style of which he is one of the last representatives; in this respect he was deeply influenced by Gentile da Fabriano, who stayed in Siena in 1424.

The iconography of the Virgin of Humility is a 1340s Sienese invention by Simone Martini, during his stay in Avignon. Squatting on the floor, the virgin appears more human and humble than in the form of the Maestà which represents her on a throne. In this fine work, however, the courtly spirit allows for the inclusion of a luxurious brocade cushion. A beautiful linearity typical of Sienese art infuses the work, from Mary's wide-cut mantle to the electrified braid of her veil. The orchard and the flowers around the Virgin symbolise her virtues; they play on the theme of Hortus conclusus, an enclosed garden, a frequent subject matter in the late Middle Ages. The plants are depicted with a dual purpose – both symbolic and naturalistic – and the strawberries and violets growing close to the ground evoke the humility of Mary. The descriptive and meticulous analysis of the plants binds the quest for truth to the Gothic decorative spirit. These ambitions are found in the millefleur tapestries of northern Europe and the art of illumination, which the artist practised during his long career.

Giovanni di Paolo adapted Gothic culture to the search for three-dimensionality in vogue at the time in Florence. The gold background makes way for a Tuscan panorama. The gradients of the sky and lights, and the lessening of the details create an atmospheric perspective revealing a knowledge of contemporary Flemish painting. The bird’s eye view of the landscape is constructed in the manner of the works of Ambrogio Lorenzetti a century earlier. The checkerboard pattern fields – a recurrent theme in the works of the artist – contrast with the soft lines of the hills.

The frame is original and shows the rejection of Gothic architectural edges in favour of a modern interpretation, in which the gilding is the final reminder of the golden background of the icon.