Who painted Virgin with child?

Virgin with child was painted by Agnolo Gaddi in 1350.

Where can I see Virgin with child?

Virgin with child is held by National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina.

What movement is Virgin with child?

Virgin with child is associated with Italo Byzantine.

Can I buy a print of Virgin with child?

Museum-quality prints of Virgin with child are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Virgin with child

Agnolo Gaddi , 1350

Virgin with child is an unspecified painting by the Italo Byzantine artist Agnolo Gaddi. It dates from 1350 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1350, this panel by Agnolo Gaddi illustrates the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ. Rendered in the Italo‑Byzantine idiom that persisted after Giotto’s reforms, the image presents a calm, devotional encounter framed by a gold‑lined arch and flanking columns.

Subject & Meaning

The central figures, Mary in a blue robe trimmed with gold and the child in a white tunic with a pink hem, are both crowned with halos, underscoring their sacred status. Mary's downward gaze and the child's upward look convey a reciprocal intimacy that reflects medieval concepts of maternal devotion and divine incarnation.

Technique & Style

Gaddi employs a restrained chiaroscuro, allowing subtle modeling of forms against a deep red background. The gold archway and the delicate sfumato around the figures’ edges create a luminous surface typical of late Gothic Florentine painting, while the overall composition retains the hierarchical symmetry of Byzantine precedent.

History & Provenance

A member of a Florentine family linked to Giotto’s workshop, Gaddi inherited his father Taddeo’s workshop and later pursued commercial ventures in Venice before his death in 1396. The work exemplifies the transitional phase of Florentine art in the mid‑fourteenth century, bridging earlier Byzantine conventions with emerging Gothic sensibilities.

Context

During the period, devotional panels of the Virgin and Child were central to private worship and church altarpieces. Gaddi’s painting reflects the continued demand for such imagery, while its stylistic choices indicate the gradual shift toward naturalism that would dominate later in the century.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Agnolo Gaddi

Agnolo Gaddi (c.1350–1396) was an Italian painter. He was born and died in Florence, and was the son of the painter Taddeo Gaddi, who was himself the major pupil of the Florentine master Giotto. Agnolo was a painter…