Focus on Madonna and Child (Duccio, Metropolitan) and explore the History of ownership.
As is common for duecento and trecento paintings, the ownership and location of the Madonna and Child before the mid 19th century is unknown. The first known owner of the painting is the Russian Count Gregori Stroganoff (1829–1910), who said he spotted it in a dealer's shop, not attributed to any artist.  In 1904 he lent it to an exhibition at the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena (Mostra d’arte antica senese).  He kept it in his palazzo in Rome.Stated in her review of the 1904 Mostra d’art senese exhibition, art historian, Mary Logan Berenson believes this work to be among Duccio's “most perfect” pieces, therefore it is no surprise the painting caused an awe-inspiring reaction from exhibition viewers and especially from those in the art and art history arena.  Following the death of Stroganoff in 1910, the Duccio joined the assembly of works collected by Adolphe Stoclet (1871–1949), hence the painting's namesake, the Stoclet Madonna.  Stoclet was understood to treat his fruitful collection of art with the most careful attention and held them in the most ideal environments to preserve their unique, and many times fragile, qualities.  The Duccio was shown at few exhibitions in 1930 and 1935 and to chosen, limited guests of Stoclet at his home.
Following the death of Stoclet and his wife in 1949, their children inherited Duccio's Madonna and Child along with the rest of the collector's assemblage.  Although the coveted work of art was of interest to scholars, they were unable to access it except through photographs that fortunately document the ages of the painting and its process of restoration.  Photographs of before it was restored, and later minor retouching, to what we see now all of which reveal the time past and the true impression of the original painting of 1300.  The painting was excitingly acquired in the autumn of 2004 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an estimated amount of 45 million USD.  This is a highly valuable acquisition not only for the aesthetic significance in terms of the history of art, but also because there are only 13 known paintings by Duccio in the world.
Madonna USD Adolphe Stoclet Palazzo Pubblico of Siena duecento Duccio trecento Madonna and Child Palazzo Pubblico Metropolitan Museum of Art