Note 15 — Chapter II · SIENA AND THE CONTINUING OF THE MEDIÆVAL STYLE

The fact that the Madonna of the Palazzo Pubblico had been much repainted in Duccio’s time not unnaturally threw Milanesi and other critics off the track. But the date is entirely genuine (see C. & C. [Douglas] Vol. I, p. 162, note 1*; and E. Jacobsen, Das Trecento, p. 18). The latter writes, “The signature and date are genuine. There is no tenable ground for doubting them.”

I have satisfied myself by close inspection that such is the case, and the half dozen or so other panels associated with this Madonna stylistically all seem to belong to the first half of the 13th century.