Artwork
Madonna with Child
Madonna with Child is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Franciabigio. It dates from 1514 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The main subject is identified as Madonna and Child, with the figures of Mary and the Christ Child explicitly listed as what the work depicts.
The painting depicts the Madonna and Child, a central devotional subject in Christian art. According to the sources, the work portrays Mary holding the Christ Child, rendered in oil on panel as a religious image. The main subject is identified as Madonna and Child, with the figures of Mary and the Christ Child explicitly listed as what the work depicts.
As a Madonna and Child composition, the work belongs to a long tradition of Italian religious art in which the Virgin Mary is shown with the infant Jesus, a subject used to convey themes of maternal tenderness, divine incarnation, and maternal intercession. Franciabigio's 1514 panel fits within this devotional genre, presenting the sacred pair as objects of veneration.
Technique & Style
The work was executed in oil on wooden panel, measuring 93 cm in height and 68 cm in width. Franciabigio applied traditional panel painting techniques characteristic of early 16th-century Italian religious art, using oil paint to render the Madonna and Child with delicate modeling and compositional balance. The painting’s surface retains its original handling and shows no documented alterations, preserving the integrity of its formal stylistic qualities as a devotional image.
History & Provenance
The work titled Madonna with Child was created in 1514 by the Italian painter Franciabigio, who worked in oil on panel. It was commissioned as a religious painting and executed in Italy before entering the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. The painting measures 93 cm in height and 68 cm in width.
The painting Madonna with Child by Franciabigio is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. Created in 1514, the work is executed in oil on panel and measures 93 cm in height by 68 cm in width. The provided sources confirm its location within the museum but do not list a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, no information regarding the exhibition history of this specific artwork is available in the current documentation.
Overview
Created in 1514 by the Florentine painter Franciabigio, this oil painting presents a conventional Madonna and Child composition. Executed during the High Renaissance, the work now belongs to the State Hermitage Museum’s collection, where it is displayed among other period pieces.
Context
Franciabigio worked within the artistic currents of the Florentine High Renaissance, a period marked by balanced composition and refined naturalism. The Madonna with Child reflects contemporary devotional imagery while also showcasing the artist’s skill in rendering delicate textures and atmospheric perspective, aligning the work with the broader visual language of his peers in early sixteenth‑century Italy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Franciabigio (1482 – 24 January 1525) was an Italian painter of the Florentine Renaissance. His true name may have been Francesco di Cristofano; he is also referred to as either Marcantonio Franciabigio or Francia Bigio.
