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Following the bubonic plague outbreak in Florence in 1348, a renewed religious conservatism marked the general atmosphere and the next generation of artists. Nardo di Cione and his two brothers were among the leaders of this medievalizing style, which harked back to models of presentation antedating the naturalistic and humanistic innovations of Giotto. The enduring, iconic quality of Nardo's Virgin and Child is a product of his interpretation of the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven, set against an abstract and timeless gold background in the Byzantine tradition. The artist's own lyricism is evident in the delicate skin tones, rhythmic and ornamental draperies, and rich, saturated palette.
The painting likely served as the central panel of a small folding altarpiece.
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