Artwork
Madonna and Child, with the Blessing Christ [middle panel]
![Madonna and Child, with the Blessing Christ [middle panel], by Martino di Bartolomeo, tempera, 1418](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/martino-di-bartolomeo--madonna-and-child-with-the-blessing-christ-middle-panel--9e7ebbf6d3ba8295-w1024.webp)
Madonna and Child, with the Blessing Christ [middle panel] is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Martino di Bartolomeo. It dates from 1418 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on Christ's book: Ego S / um lu / x m / undi / [et] via / veritas / et vita / quise / gui ... (I am the light of the world and the way, the truth and the life; a conflation of John 8:12 and 14:6) [1]
About this work
History & Provenance
Fuller (1875–1963) in New York, as recorded by Fern Rusk Shapley in the 1979 _Catalogue of the Italian Paintings_.
The panel was painted in 1415 by Martino di Bartolomeo in tempera on panel. By 1924 it was in a private collection in London, the owner of which remained unnamed in F. Mason Perkins's published discussion but was evidently a knowledgeable amateur who had himself suggested the Martino di Bartolomeo attribution; old photographs of the work are noted in NGA curatorial files as having belonged to Robert Langton Douglas. The painting subsequently passed into the collection of Samuel L. Fuller (1875–1963) in New York, as recorded by Fern Rusk Shapley in the 1979 _Catalogue of the Italian Paintings_.
Fuller gave the panel to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1950, where it remains today.
The panel is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1950 as a gift from Samuel L. Fuller (1875–1963) of New York. Before reaching the NGA, the painting was in a private collection in London by 1924, when it was discussed by F. Mason Perkins in the Rassegna d'Arte Senese; the collector's name was not disclosed in that publication, though a later note from Ellis Waterhouse (22 July 1980) in NGA curatorial files refers to old Langton Douglas photographs of the work. The painting is recorded in Fern Rusk Shapley's 1979 Catalogue of the Italian Paintings (vol. 1, p. 303).
No exhibition history beyond these provenance-related publications is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Martino di Bartolomeo's painting, Madonna and Child, with the Blessing Christ, created around 1418, is a religious panel executed in tempera. This central panel portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus on her lap. Above them, a smaller, haloed figure extends a hand in benediction.
The composition is framed within a pointed arch, emphasizing the sacred nature of the scene through its traditional iconography and luminous gold background.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork centers on the Virgin Mary, depicted in a dark blue robe, holding the Christ Child dressed in pink. The infant grasps a red cloth, while Mary's expression conveys serenity. Above this central pair, a smaller, haloed representation of Christ offers a gesture of blessing.
The figures are set against an intricately patterned gold background, which features swirling motifs, all contained within the architectural form of a pointed arch, typical of devotional art of the period.
Technique & Style
This painting was created using tempera on a wooden panel, a common technique during the early 15th century. Tempera involves mixing ground pigments with an egg yolk binder, resulting in a durable, luminous finish. The artist skillfully employed gold leaf for the background, which, with its swirling patterns, creates a striking contrast against the deep hues of the figures' robes. This interplay of light and dark enhances the visual prominence of the sacred subjects.
Artist & collection

![Saint Peter, with Saint James Major [left panel], by Martino di Bartolomeo](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/martino-di-bartolomeo--saint-peter-with-saint-james-major-left-panel--20178831b0b297bc-w320.webp)
![Deacon Saint, with Saint Anthony Abbot [right panel], by Martino di Bartolomeo](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/martino-di-bartolomeo--deacon-saint-with-saint-anthony-abbot-right-panel--2a458c4f3eacee3b-w320.webp)
![Madonna and Child with the Blessing Christ, and Saints Peter, James Major, Anthony Abbott, and a Deacon Saint [entire triptych], by Martino di Bartolomeo](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/martino-di-bartolomeo--madonna-and-child-with-the-blessing-christ-and-saints-peter--2c53e26d577a363b-w320.webp)












