Artwork
Madonna and child
Madonna and child is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jan Gossaert. It dates from 1527 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Mary is shown in a three-quarter pose, gazing toward the viewer while the Christ Child is presented centrally, his body turned slightly to the side.
The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, a standard subject in Christian iconography known as the Madonna and Child. Mary is shown in a three-quarter pose, gazing toward the viewer while the Christ Child is presented centrally, his body turned slightly to the side. The composition emphasizes maternal tenderness and divine grace, aligning with Northern Renaissance religious conventions that sought to humanize sacred figures.
The work’s modest dimensions and intimate scale suggest it was intended for private devotion rather than public display, reinforcing its role as an object of contemplation and prayer.
Technique & Style
The painting employs oil on panel, a medium characteristic of Northern Renaissance practice, allowing for fine detail and luminous glazes.
The composition centers on the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child, arranged in a closely observed, intimate pose. The handling reveals Gossaert’s careful modeling of form through subtle transitions of light and shadow, with delicate, individualized features and softly rendered drapery folds.
The support is a single oak panel, prepared with a light ground typical of the period. The work’s small scale (30.6 × 24.5 cm) and refined execution suggest it was intended for private devotion rather than public display.
History & Provenance
The work titled Madonna and child was painted by Jan Gossaert in 1527 as an oil painting on panel. It was created within the religious art tradition and depicts Mary with the infant Christ. The painting entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been housed in the Alte Pinakothek since its acquisition.
Its dimensions measure 30.6 cm in height and 24.5 cm in width. The work was produced during Gossaert's mature period and reflects the stylistic developments of early Northern Renaissance art.
The provenance chain records the painting's continuous ownership by the Bavarian State Painting Collections, indicating institutional stewardship from its creation through to the present day.
Jan Gossaert's Madonna and Child, dated 1527, is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, which is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work is executed in oil paint on panel and measures 30.6 cm in height by 24.5 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain specific accession numbers or a record of the painting's exhibition history.
Context
The painting was created by Jan Gossaert for the Bavarian State Painting Collections and remains on view at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. As a religious work from 1527, it exemplifies early Northern Renaissance approaches to devotional imagery and reflects Gossaert's role in introducing Italianate naturalism into Northern art. Scholarship on the piece has emphasized its influence on later depictions of the Madonna and Child, situating it within broader discussions of artistic exchange and religious representation in early 16th-century Europe.
Overview
Jan Gossaert’s Madonna and Child (1527) is an oil painting that presents the Virgin Mary seated on a bench, cradling the infant Christ. The composition is intimate, with the child reaching toward the mother’s hand, and is framed by a dark, arched doorway that recedes into the background.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Gossaert (c. 1478 – 1 October 1532) was a French-speaking painter from the Low Countries also known as Jan Mabuse (the name he adopted from his birthplace, Maubeuge) or Jennyn van Hennegouwe (Hainaut), as he called…
![Saint Jerome Penitent [right panel], by Jan Gossaert](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jan-gossaert--saint-jerome-penitent-right-panel--0d4ac14f44de87b1-w320.webp)
![Saint Jerome Penitent [left panel], by Jan Gossaert](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jan-gossaert--saint-jerome-penitent-left-panel--3d396afbb0f8e738-w320.webp)
