Artwork
Virgin and Child
Virgin and Child is a print by the Impressionist artist Filippino Lippi. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This chromolithograph, titled Virgin and Child, is a colour lithographic print reproducing a painting by Filippino Lippi. Characterized by soft colours and meticulous shading, the scene depicts the Virgin Mary gazing down at the infant Jesus, who holds a bird.
Subject & Meaning
The print faithfully reproduces Filippino Lippi's original painting, capturing a serene and intimate moment between the Virgin and Child. The composition conveys tender devotion, with Mary's gentle gaze and Jesus' engagement with a bird embodying innocence and tranquility.
Technique & Style
Produced using the chromolithographic process, the design was applied to stone with greasy chalk, leveraging the repulsion between grease and water to achieve crisp, bright colours. This method allowed for mass production while maintaining the subtle shading and soft hues of the original artwork.
History & Provenance
Commissioned by the Arundel Society, this print was created from a watercolour copy of Lippi's work, selected and approved by the Society's council. It was distributed to subscribers, with over 200,000 chromolithographs circulated by the Society's closure in 1897.
Context
The Arundel Society's focus on reproducing Italian Renaissance frescoes and paintings introduced works like this to a broad audience, including individuals from various backgrounds. The Society's efforts facilitated widespread access to Renaissance art, often finding its way into public and educational spaces.
Legacy
As part of the Arundel Society's extensive distribution, this print, along with others, contributed to popularizing Renaissance art among the general public in the 19th century. Many of these prints remain in use in community and educational settings, enduring as accessible examples of Renaissance imagery.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Filippino Lippi (probably 1457 – 18 April 1504) was an Italian Renaissance painter mostly working in Florence, Italy during the later years of the Early Renaissance and first few years of the High Renaissance.
Pietà (The Dead Christ Mourned by Nicodemus and Two Angels)
Tobias and the Angel
The Adoration of the Child
The Coronation of the Virgin
Portrait of a Youth
The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Margaret
The Meeting of Joachim and Anne outside the Golden Gate of Jerusalem
Portrait of a young man
Muttergottes mit Kind
Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist and Angels
Adoração dos Pastores
The Birth of Christ
Adoration of Camaldoli
Adoração dos Reis Magos
Adoration of the Child - Holy Family with child St. John
Vergine col bambino e due santi
Nașterea lui Iisus Hristos
Rest on the Flight into Egypt