Changes

Setting his figures against an impressive gilded backdrop, Duccio showcased a uniformity of color while also featuring the crisp patterns characteristic of works emerging from the medieval aesthetic. Artists since the fall of Rome had made pattern and texture a key component of their paintings, thus making the capability to manifest such pattern in tempera an ideal pairing.

For some artists working in the Italian peninsula, the technique of tempera reigned supreme well into the fifteenth century. One can look to Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli as a prime example. He is perhaps best known for his iconic duo of <i>Primavera</i> (1482) and <i>The Birth of Venus</i> (circa 1486), both tempera on canvas compositions that showcase the depth of color possible with the medium. One can also note that, similar to his predecessor Duccio, Botticelli continued to reinforce the crisp and clear contours of each compositional element. In other words, while shadow and contour is important, Botticelli seems to prefer in <i>Primavera</i> and <i>The Birth of Venus</i> a solidity of his forms.