The Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Angels and Saints

1460

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Dominant colour

The Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Angels and Saints is a 1460 by Italian 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Italian 15th Century
When & what style?: 1460 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This black-and-white print shows a woman holding a baby, surrounded by a crowd of robed figures. Angels float above and around them, some holding musical instruments. The scene is framed like a church altar, with detailed carvings and a pointed arch. The woman and baby are the central focus, with saints and angels filling the space around them. The style looks like it’s from a time when artists were just starting to use perspective in prints. Look up Renaissance to see how this print fits into that era’s art.

About the artist

Artist

Italian 15th Century

This anonymous Italian engraver from the 1490s carved images that could be peeled apart like paper dolls—each knot in the "First Knot" print was cut from a single sheet so you could lift the loops right off the page.

See the richer artist page