Artwork

The Virgin and Child Enthroned and St. Homobonus, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Alexandria and the Donor Bernadino da Feltre (Death 1494)

The Virgin and Child Enthroned and St. Homobonus, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Alexandria and the Donor Bernadino da Feltre (Death 1494) is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Bartolomeo Montagna. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Bode Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The inclusion of the donor underscores his patronage and intercessory function within the sacred scene.

The composition portrays the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the Christ Child, flanked by saints Homobonus, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Alexandria, and the donor Saint Bernadino da Feltre. Each saint is identified by traditional attributes: Homobonus holds a model of a hospital, Francis is shown with the stigmata, Catherine is crowned with a wheel, and Bernadino is depicted in the habit of the Franciscan Third Order, emphasizing his role as a patron of the Franciscan order. The inclusion of the donor underscores his patronage and intercessory function within the sacred scene.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support and medium combination documented in the Wikidata record for the painting. The medium is broadly classified as paint within the corpus entry. Beyond these material facts, the available sources do not provide details on handling, condition, or formal and stylistic qualities such as brushwork, palette, or compositional approach.

History & Provenance

Created by Bartolomeo Montagna, this religious painting is dated to 1515, though some records also list an inception year of 1525. The work was executed in oil paint on canvas. Its provenance traces back to the Solly Collection before entering the holdings of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it is currently located within the Bode Museum.

The piece depicts the Virgin and Child enthroned alongside Saints Homobonus, Francis of Assisi, and Catherine of Alexandria, with the donor Bernardino da Feltre included in the composition.

The painting is held in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, part of the Bode Museum complex. It entered the museum’s collection as part of the Solly Collection, a foundational group of early Italian paintings acquired in the early 19th century.

No documented exhibitions of the work outside its permanent display in Berlin are recorded in the available sources.

Overview

Created in 1515, this early Renaissance panel presents the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the infant Christ, flanked by a small group of saints and the patron donor. The composition balances a central sacred pair with surrounding figures, set against a modest landscape that recedes into a blue sky, establishing a harmonious spatial depth.

Context

Montagna’s painting reflects the early 16th‑century devotional practices of northern Italy, where patrons often commissioned altarpieces that combined the Virgin and Child with locally revered saints. The inclusion of the donor, Bernadino da Feltre, exemplifies the era’s intertwining of personal devotion, civic pride, and artistic patronage.