Mariotto di Nardo (1365–1424): A Florentine Gothic Pioneer Mariotto di Nardo di Cione, a name perhaps less resonant than those of his Renaissance contemporaries, 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 flourished during an era marked by profound artistic transformation, witnessing firsthand the rise of humanist ideals and the gradual adoption of…