Where can I see Madonna and Child with Angels?

Madonna and Child with Angels is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Madonna and Child with Angels?

Madonna and Child with Angels is associated with High Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Madonna and Child with Angels?

Museum-quality prints of Madonna and Child with Angels are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Madonna and Child with Angels

Bernardino da Genoa , 1515

Madonna and Child with Angels is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Bernardino da Genoa. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting presents the Madonna and Child, a devotional subject central to Christian religious art in which the Virgin Mary holds the Christ Child.

The painting presents the Madonna and Child, a devotional subject central to Christian religious art in which the Virgin Mary holds the Christ Child. According to the catalogue record, the composition also incorporates angels, a bird, and a lute among its depicted elements. The presence of musical angels and a lute suggests a celestial celebration of the Christ Child, while the bird may carry traditional Marian symbolism associated with the soul or with the Holy Spirit.

Together, these attributes frame the Madonna and Child as objects of heavenly veneration, reinforcing the work's religious function as an object of contemplation and devotion.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1515 by Bernardino da Genoa, this religious work is an oil painting applied on a panel support. The composition features the Madonna and Child accompanied by angels, with specific iconographic details including a lute and a bird. Physically, the artwork measures 74.6 centimeters in height and 57.5 centimeters in width.

While the specific handling of the brushwork and the current state of conservation are not detailed in the available records, the piece is identified formally as a panel painting utilizing oil medium, characteristic of early sixteenth-century Italian religious art. The work is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

Madonna and Child with Angels was painted by Bernardino da Genoa in 1515, executed in oil on panel. The work’s creation history is limited to these details; no earlier ownership records or commission documentation are cited in the provided sources. It is now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it has been housed since its acquisition.

Context

Madonna and Child with Angels is a 1515 oil painting on panel by the Ligurian artist Bernardino da Genoa. The work belongs to the early sixteenth‑century Lombard religious tradition and was intended for devotional use, as indicated by its iconography of the Virgin, Child and attendant angels playing lute and holding a bird. The composition reflects the devotional practices of the period and demonstrates Bernardino’s engagement with contemporary altarpiece formats.

The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s collection of religious art, underscoring its significance in the study of Lombard artistic production.

Overview

This oil painting, titled "Madonna and Child with Angels," offers a serene and intimate portrayal of the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ. Mary is depicted in a posture of prayer, her gaze directed towards her child, who rests on a cushion at her feet. She is accompanied by two angels, one engaged in playing a lute and the other holding a bow. A natural landscape forms the backdrop, contributing to the work's overall tranquil atmosphere.