Many 13th-century Italian panels of this type are carved into a gabled format, crowned by a lofty peak that points toward the celestial realm. The lustrous ground and gold-nimbed figures reinforce the artist’s evocation of a rarefied, sacred dimension. Yet certain elements bridge the physical and metaphysical worlds. Saint Francis kneels at bottom right, an intermediary between humanity and the divine; the nearly-grazing fingers of the Madonna and Christ Child remind viewers of the latter’s corporeality; and a brightly-plumed European goldfinch is perched on the Christ Child’s left hand. Because it was thought to subsist on a diet of thistles, a plant associated with the crown of thorns, the goldfinch proliferated in devotional art as a symbol of Christ’s Passion. But it was also a common household pet, easily tamed and coveted in particular by children. By seeing their own affection for the docile bird resonating in the Christ Child, young viewers were encouraged to identify with Christ and to emulate his piety.