Artwork

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, by Carlo Crivelli, tempera
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, by Carlo Crivelli, tempera

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Carlo Crivelli. It is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a sacra conversazione, a traditional Christian iconographic arrangement in which the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child are enthroned at the center, surrounded by a group of saints. The figures include Saint Peter, identifiable by his key, alongside Bonaventure, Francis of Assisi, John of Capistrano, Louis of Toulouse, Augustine of Hippo, James of the Marches, and Emygdius, arranged symmetrically around the central figures. This composition emphasizes the theological concept of intercession, where the saints serve as intermediaries between the divine and the earthly realms, reinforcing the sacred and communal nature of the scene.

Technique & Style

The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is a tempera painting on a wooden panel created by Carlo Crivelli in 1495.

The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is a tempera painting on a wooden panel created by Carlo Crivelli in 1495. Measuring 191 cm high by 196 cm wide, the work resides in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Room 38. As a religious painting it serves as the central altarpiece of the Pala di San Pietro di Muralto and presents a sacra conversazione composition, showing the Virgin and Child enthroned with saints Peter, Bonaventure, Francis of Assisi, John of Capistrano, Louis of Toulouse, Augustine of Hippo, James of the Marches, and Emygdius.

History & Provenance

Carlo Crivelli created the tempera-on-panel painting Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints in 1495 as the central altarpiece for the Pala di San Pietro di Muralto. It is held in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, where it is displayed in Room 38. The painting depicts a sacra conversazione featuring the Virgin and Child surrounded by saints including Peter, Bonaventure, Francis of Assisi, John of Capistrano, Louis of Toulouse, Augustine of Hippo, James of the Marches, and Emygdius.

No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history beyond its current placement in the Berlin collection is documented.

Context

Carlo Crivelli's Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, dated 1495, serves as the central altarpiece of the Pala di San Pietro di Muralto. Executed in tempera on panel, the work exemplifies the sacra conversazione genre, a format where the Virgin and Child are depicted in a unified, yet hierarchically distinct, gathering with saints. The painting features a specific assembly of holy figures including Saint Peter, Bonaventure, Francis of Assisi, John of Capistrano, Louis of Toulouse, Augustine of Hippo, James of the Marches, and Emygdius, reflecting the local devotional context of its creation.

Currently housed in Room 38 of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the piece measures 191 cm by 196 cm. As a late work by Crivelli, it demonstrates the artist's continued adherence to the International Gothic style while integrating Renaissance spatial concepts, cementing its status as a significant religious artifact within his broader oeuvre.

Overview

Carlo Crivelli completed Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints in 1495, an early Renaissance tempera painting. This work depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, surrounded by a celestial court of various saints. It exemplifies Crivelli's distinctive approach to religious imagery and his meticulous craftsmanship. The painting is currently housed in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints and Angels
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints and Angels, Giovanni Boccati

Artist & collection

Artist

Carlo Crivelli

Carlo Crivelli (c. 1430 – c. 1495) was an Italian Renaissance painter of conservative Late Gothic decorative sensibility, who spent his early years in the Veneto, where he absorbed influences from the Vivarini,…

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Gemäldegalerie Berlin open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.

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Frequently asked questions

Who painted Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints?

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints was painted by Carlo Crivelli in 1489-01-01.

Where can I see Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints?

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is held by Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

What movement is Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints?

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints is associated with Early Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints?

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