A Florentine Visionary of the Gothic Twilight Mariotto di Nardo, a name perhaps less resonant than those of his Renaissance successors, nevertheless occupies a crucial position in the transition between the elegant world of late Gothic painting and the burgeoning naturalism that would define the 15th century. Born around 1365 in Florence—precise birthdates remain elusive, shrouded in the mists of archival records—Mariotto emerged during a period of immense artistic dynamism, witnessing firsthand the flowering of Florentine Gothic style amidst the grandeur of the Duomo and the fervent piety o…