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This altarpiece, which has survived almost intact, was commissioned in 1350 by Tommaso Baronci, a prominent citizen, for a side-altar in Santa Maria Maggiore, Florence. It represents the Virgin and Child with Sts Mary Magdalene and Ansanus.
By concealing the sides of the throne Orcagna gave the Virgin a weightless quality; she seems to be floating, in contrast to the sense of weight conveyed by the saints standing beside her. The depiction of the figures reflects the rather stiff, hieratical style of the period. The frame is reminiscent of Gothic architecture.
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