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Virgin and Child with Saints

Berlinghiero Berlinghieri

1234

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Byzantine icon painting Medieval Religious

Dominant colour

Virgin and Child with Saints is a 1234 unspecified by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri, a Byzantine icon painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Berlinghiero Berlinghieri
When & what style?: 1234 · Byzantine icon painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a small, foldable altarpiece with Mary holding baby Jesus in the center, flanked by saints on gold backgrounds. This painting was made for a home or private chapel—easy to carry, meant for personal prayer. The saints’ long, flowing lines and solemn faces show the strong influence of Byzantine art, which favored flat, decorative figures over depth. To see more of this style, look up *Italy*.

The story of this work

Overview

This small altarpiece, intended for a domestic interior or private chapel, consists of three panels, allowing it to be folded and easily transported. Surrounding the Virgin and Child in the center are various saints. On the left is Saint Andrew crucified, with St. Francis and St. Paul below; on the right, Christ with the instruments of the Passion, and St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below. The long expressive lines that define the clothing and hands of the figures are typical of Byzantine painting, which spread from Constantinople to Italy in the Middle Ages. Berlinghiero is one of the earliest…