Virgin and Child with an Angel (Madonna del Latte)

Correggio employs a soft modelling of forms through gradual transitions of light and shadow, a hallmark of his chiaroscuro approach. The delicate rendering of flesh tones and the luminous atmosphere create a sense of depth on the relatively flat panel surface, while the subtle colour palette enhances the tenderness of the scene.

Created in the early 1520s, the painting entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest during the 20th century, though earlier ownership records remain sparse. Its attribution to Correggio has been consistently affirmed by stylistic analysis and documentary evidence linking the work to his known output in Parma.

The work reflects the popularity of the nursing Madonna motif in Northern Italian art of the High Renaissance, a period when artists explored intimate, domestic representations of sacred subjects. Correggio’s version distinguishes itself through the inclusion of an angel, adding a celestial witness to the earthly act of maternal care.