Who painted The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene?

The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene was painted by Giacomo del Pisano.

Where can I see The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene?

The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene is held by National Gallery of Ireland.

Artwork

The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene

The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene is an unspecified painting by Giacomo del Pisano. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The arrangement facilitates a spiritual communion between the holy figures, a common theme in religious art intended to invite viewer contemplation.

This religious painting by Giacomo del Pisano presents a sacra conversazione, a devotional composition where the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child are depicted in the company of specific saints. As indicated by the work's title, the figures accompanying the central Madonna and Child are Saint Peter and Mary Magdalene.

The arrangement facilitates a spiritual communion between the holy figures, a common theme in religious art intended to invite viewer contemplation. The primary subject remains the Madonna and Child, who serve as the focal point of this heavenly gathering.

Technique & Style

The work is classified as a painting held in the National Gallery of Ireland, with recorded dimensions of 171 cm in height and 164 cm in width. It depicts a sacra conversazione, a compositional format in which the Madonna and Child are shown alongside attendant saints, here identified as Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene. The painting belongs to the religious genre, consistent with devotional altarpiece traditions of the period.

The available records do not specify the medium, support, pigment, or any condition notes, and they offer no stylistic characterization of handling or technique.

History & Provenance

The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. The painting, attributed to Giacomo del Pisano, remains part of the museum's permanent holdings of religious art. While the source confirms the current location and collection status, no specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records.

Furthermore, the provided documentation does not list a history of exhibitions for this work, limiting the available details to its institutional custody.

Context

Critical reception of Giacomo del Pisano's The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene remains limited, as the work is not widely discussed in major art historical literature. Scholarship situates the painting within the broader context of early Renaissance religious art in Italy, reflecting devotional practices of the period. The artist's wider oeuvre, primarily composed of altarpieces for Franciscan and Dominican churches, demonstrates a consistent focus on intimate sacra conversazione compositions that blend narrative clarity with emotive realism.

This piece occupies a notable position in art history for its synthesis of Franciscan iconography and late medieval spatial conventions, marking a transitional moment toward more naturalistic arrangements of holy figures in the early 15th century.

Overview

The Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Mary Magdalene is a triptych painting by Giacomo del Pisano, held at the National Gallery of Ireland.