Most paintings by artists in 14th century Italy were religious pictures. Their purpose (as far as the Church was concerned) was to instruct the viewer about the Bible and the lives of saints, to present it in a vivid way so that they would not forget, and as an stimulating aid to devotion. So pictures often had a wealth of information in the detail, which sometimes also had a secondary meaning, symbolising much greater concepts for the informed viewer.
In the image of the Virgin and Child enthroned in the Daddi triptych, the Child holds a small bird in his left hand. The viewer would recognise this bird as a goldfinch, a brightly coloured bird with a patch of red on its face. According to legend, the goldfinch gained this red patch when it removed a thorn from Christ's brow on the road to Calvary, and a drop of blood fell on the bird's face. This allusion to the Passion of Christ would remind the viewer of the fate of the Child.
Take time to look in depth at the triptych and you will uncover the symbolism of such details, understand the significance of gestures, and recognise the characters by their attributes and how they are portrayed.
