Who painted Madonna and Child?

Madonna and Child was painted by Domenico di Michelino in 1450.

Where can I see Madonna and Child?

Madonna and Child is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Madonna and Child?

Madonna and Child is associated with Early Renaissance.

Artwork

Madonna and Child

Domenico di Michelino , 1450

Madonna and Child is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Domenico di Michelino. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. Created circa 1450, this tempera panel presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The pairing of mother and child conveys themes of maternal tenderness and the incarnation of Christ, central to Catholic iconography of the period.

The painting depicts the Madonna and Child, a foundational subject in Christian religious art showing the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. According to the catalogue and Wikidata entry, the work portrays Mary and the Christ Child as its main subject, situating it within the long devotional tradition of Marian imagery that flourished in fifteenth-century Italy.

Rendered in tempera on a poplar panel, the intimate vertical format (89 by 54 cm) is characteristic of private devotional images intended for close, contemplative viewing. The pairing of mother and child conveys themes of maternal tenderness and the incarnation of Christ, central to Catholic iconography of the period.

Technique & Style

Domenico di Michelino's Madonna and Child, created in 1450, is executed in tempera on a poplar panel. The work measures 89 cm in height and 54 cm in width. As a religious painting, it depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, adhering to the formal conventions of Italian religious art from the mid-fifteenth century. The piece is currently held in the Hermitage Museum.

History & Provenance

The painting Madonna and Child was created by Domenico di Michelino in 1450. Executed in tempera on a poplar panel, the work originates from Italy and depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. Current records indicate the artwork is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains located.

No specific details regarding the original commission, the initial patron, or the precise chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.

The painting has been in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it is held as part of that institution's holdings. According to the Wikidata record, the work is catalogued under that museum's inventory and is identified as a tempera on poplar panel by Domenico di Michelino, depicting the Madonna and Child.

No specific exhibition history or loan record is documented in the available sources, and no accession number is provided beyond its identification within the Hermitage collection.

Overview

Created circa 1450, this tempera panel presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ. Both figures are surrounded by golden light, their halos marking sanctity, while the subdued green of Mary's robe and the child's simple white cloth convey a quiet intimacy.

Context

Emerging in the early Renaissance, the painting aligns with contemporary shifts toward naturalistic representation and humanized sacred subjects. Its warm gold background and serene atmosphere exemplify the period’s move away from medieval rigidity toward a more personal devotional experience.