Open full image Pin

The Virgin of the Rocks

Unknown

1450

From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst

Dominant colour

The Virgin of the Rocks is a 1450 by Unknown, held at Statens Museum for Kunst.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1450
Where can I see it?: Statens Museum for Kunst

About this work

This painting shows a woman in a blue robe holding a small child, with another baby reaching toward her. To the left, a chubby child clutches her cloak, while a woman in red kneels beside a seated child. The background is dark with a faint castle in the distance and some rocky cliffs. The woman’s face glows softly, almost lit from within, while the shadows around her deepen. The folds in her robe and the children’s skin look smooth and three-dimensional. Look up sfumato next to see how artists create soft edges like these.