The Madonna of Humility, created by Guariento di Arpo (1310-1370). Date completed: 1345-1350. Medium: Tempera on gold and panel. Size: 50.2 x 25.4 x 3.5 cm (19 ¾ x 10 x 1 3/8 in.)

Mary sits on the ground, nursing the infant Christ. The use of gold leaf adds a sense of sacredness and divine presence in the Gothic frame with pointed arches and decorative twisted columns. The colors are rich with a composition that gives serenity in a religious piece with symbolic elements. Mary wears regal elements- a halo and gems that signify her heavenly queenship, and above her head shows a figure of God bestowing his Blessing on the mother and child.  Although simple, this piece was made to depict the people wanting protection and the spiritual concerns through the plague.