Madonna and Child (c. 1400) by Gherardo Starnina

Gherardo Starnina (1354–1413), Italian, A Florentine painter active during the late Gothic period, this artist bridged the ornate elegance of International Gothic with the emerging Renaissance sensibility. Though few works survive definitively attributed to him, his influence rippled through Tuscan art, particularly in the delicate treatment of drapery and a penchant for luminous color. Trained in Florence, he likely spent time in Spain—possibly Valencia—where his work left traces in Iberian altarpieces. His compositions balanced rhythmic grace with narrative clarity, often favoring elongated figures and intricate detailing, as seen in the *Madonna of Humility* (c. 1400). Unlike contemporaries who leaned toward austerity, his paintings shimmered with gold leaf and rich blues, suggesting a courtly refinement. Vasari later credited him with introducing Spanish techniques to Italy, though modern scholarship debates the extent of his travels. Fragments of frescoes in Florence’s Santa Maria del Carmine hint at a lost monumental style, while smaller panels reveal a master of intimate devotional scenes. His legacy lingers in the transitional flourishes of artists like Lorenzo Monaco, who absorbed his synthesis of Gothic lyricism and proto-Renaissance structure.