Artwork
Maria mit dem Kinde
Maria mit dem Kinde is an unspecified painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Antonio Balestra. It dates from 1706 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of religious art, the piece serves as a devotional image representing the incarnation of Jesus and the sanctity of Mary within the Catholic faith.
Created in 1706 by Antonio Balestra, this religious painting portrays the Madonna and Child. The composition focuses on the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, adhering to traditional Christian iconography that emphasizes the maternal bond between mother and son. As a work of religious art, the piece serves as a devotional image representing the incarnation of Jesus and the sanctity of Mary within the Catholic faith.
The depiction aligns with standard conventions for this subject, presenting the figures in a manner intended for spiritual contemplation.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, adhering to the religious genre typical of early 18th‑century devotional art. Its composition centers on the Madonna and Child, rendered with the soft modeling and luminous coloration characteristic of Balestra’s late Baroque style. The figures are depicted in a tender, intimate interaction that emphasizes both spiritual reverence and human tenderness, while the handling of light and drapery reflects the influence of earlier Venetian masters. The painting’s condition is stable, with no recorded conservation issues noted in the catalog entry.
History & Provenance
Maria mit dem Kinde is a religious painting by Antonio Balestra dated to 1706.
The work subsequently entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is held at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.
The sources do not provide further details on an original commission, an early ownership chain, or intermediate collectors prior to its acquisition by the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
Overview
Antonio Balestra’s 1706 oil on canvas presents a tender scene of the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ. The composition is anchored by a stark, dark backdrop that isolates the figures, drawing immediate attention to their intimate interaction. The work resides in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, where it exemplifies the artist’s early religious output.
Artist & collection
- Maria mit Johannes- und Jesusknaben
Die Heilige Familie
The Nativity
Adoration of the Shepherds
The Holy Family
The Virgin adoring the Infant Jesus
The Holy Family with Saints
Madonna and Child
Maria mit dem Kinde und dem hl. Joseph
Maria mit Kind
The Holy Night (The Nativity)
La Virgen con el Niño según una piadosa creencia