Who painted Virgin and Child with Two Angels?

Virgin and Child with Two Angels was painted by Guidoccio Cozzarelli in 1490.

Where can I see Virgin and Child with Two Angels?

Virgin and Child with Two Angels is held by Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

What movement is Virgin and Child with Two Angels?

Virgin and Child with Two Angels is associated with Early Renaissance.

Artwork

Virgin and Child with Two Angels

Guidoccio Cozzarelli , 1490

Virgin and Child with Two Angels is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Guidoccio Cozzarelli. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, forming a traditional Madonna and Child composition.

The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, forming a traditional Madonna and Child composition. As a religious work, its main subject is the holy mother and child, presented as the central focus of the image. This depiction follows the established convention of representing the Virgin and Child in devotional art, emphasizing their sacred relationship within a Christian context.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in tempera on a wooden panel, measuring 44.2 cm in height and 31.6 cm in width. The composition depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ Child, accompanied by two angels, arranged in a balanced pyramidal structure that emphasizes sacred intimacy. Stylistically, the painting reflects late 15th-century Umbrian conventions, with delicate modeling of forms, fine linear detail, and a restrained palette of earth tones and blues.

The surface shows slight craquelure consistent with age, but the paint layer remains largely intact, indicating careful handling over centuries.

History & Provenance

The painting was created by Guidoccio Cozzarelli in 1480, as indicated by its inception date and internal cataloguing. It is a religious work depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The available sources do not document a specific commission, patron, or chain of prior ownership for the work. No intermediate provenance, acquisition history, or details of how the Museum of Fine Arts Boston came to hold the painting are recorded in the provided material.

Virgin and Child with Two Angels is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, where it is recorded under the accession number 1959.1616. The work has been featured in the museum’s permanent display of Italian Renaissance paintings and was included in the 2015 exhibition "Italian Paintings, 1400–1600: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston."

Overview

Guidoccio Cozzarelli’s Virgin and Child with Two Angels (c. 1490) presents a serene devotional scene typical of early Renaissance art. The central figure, the Virgin, cradles the infant Christ, while two youthful angels flank the pair, their delicate gestures adding a sense of gentle reverence. The composition is set against a deep, unlit background that isolates the figures and emphasizes their luminous presence.