Artwork
The Virgin and Child
The Virgin and Child is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work’s religious genre underscores its function as an object of veneration, intended to inspire contemplation and piety among viewers.
The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child in a tender embrace, exemplifying a Madonna and Child composition central to Christian iconography. Murillo’s rendering emphasizes maternal warmth and divine grace, aligning with Counter-Reformation devotional ideals that sought to evoke emotional engagement with sacred figures. The work’s religious genre underscores its function as an object of veneration, intended to inspire contemplation and piety among viewers.
Technique & Style
The Virgin and Child is an oil painting on canvas by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, executed in 1660. The work measures 151 by 103 cm. As a religious painting depicting the Madonna and Child, it exemplifies Murillo's characteristic approach to sacred subjects through the medium of oil paint applied to canvas support.
History & Provenance
The Virgin and Child is an oil painting on canvas created by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in 1660. The work depicts the Madonna and Child within the religious art genre. It measures 151 cm in height and 103 cm in width.
Historical records indicate the painting was owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain. The work is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, with a specific location noted at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
The Virgin and Child by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Sources indicate the work is located at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, which is associated with the Prado's holdings. The painting was formerly owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain.
No specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available records, nor is there any documented exhibition history cited for this work.
Overview
This painting, created in 1660 by Spanish Baroque artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, is a religious oil painting depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. It is part of the collection at the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Context
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-1682), a prominent Spanish Baroque painter, was known for both religious scenes and everyday life depictions, often of children and street scenes.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ( mure-IL-oh, m(y)uu-REE-oh, Spanish:; late December 1617, baptised 1 January 1618 – 3 April 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter.
