The painting is one by Taddeo Gaddi, a renowned pupil of the master Giotto di Bondone. Giotto’s artistic style of naturalism, as part of the proto-Renaissance period, can be seen as an influence in the painting- Mourning Mary. Painted on a wood panel with egg tempera, the illustration is one belonging to religious iconography. It falls in the tradition of painting Mother Mary as the ‘mother of sorrows’ or Mater Dolorosa in a mourning posture in memory of her son, Jesus Christ. Her figure is embodied with a silent grief, without being too loud or dramatic. The gold leaf background signifies the divine golden light from heaven, which is framed inside a Gothic structure with its apex pointing above the head of the Virgin Mary. A soft dotted halo surrounds her head, rooting her in religious art. It is one of the iconic styles of painting the Virgin Mary. Though what makes this one apart is the influence of Giotto on gaddi which painted divine figures in a more human light. Her drooping eyes on a long, deep face with wrinkles on the side give her the image of an old mother in mourning. Her cheeks are brushed with a tint of red, the only colour her face possesses, falling in contrast with her otherwise dull and brooding demeanour.

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