Artwork
Madonna and child
Madonna and child is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Gherardo Starnina. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Created in 1435, this panel portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Madonna and Child, a foundational subject in Christian religious art showing the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus.
The painting depicts the Madonna and Child, a foundational subject in Christian religious art showing the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. According to the source material, the work portrays Mary and the Christ Child and is classified as a religious painting, with its main subject identified as the Madonna and Child.
This devotional subject, rooted in the maternal relationship between Mary and Jesus, was a central theme of fifteenth-century European painting, particularly in works intended for private devotion. The pairing of mother and child emphasized both the humanity of Christ and the veneration of Mary as his mother, a theme frequently rendered by the Master of the Bambino Vispo.
Technique & Style
Created in 1435 by the Master of the Bambino Vispo, this religious painting depicts the Madonna and Child. The work is executed on a support measuring 88 cm in height and 47 cm in width. Currently held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the piece represents the artist's approach to early 15th-century devotional imagery.
While specific details regarding the exact medium, such as tempera or oil, or the material of the support are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the classification confirms its status as a painted work. The composition focuses strictly on the two figures, adhering to the conventional iconography of the period.
History & Provenance
The painting is dated to 1435 and attributed to the Master of the Bambino Vispo. It is currently housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it forms part of the museum's collection. No further details about earlier ownership, commission, or creation circumstances are provided in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1435, this panel portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus. Rendered in a compact composition, the figures sit upon a green cushion against a luminous gold field that hints at an ethereal sky. The serene expressions and gentle gestures emphasize a moment of quiet devotion, typical of devotional images produced in the early Northern Renaissance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gherardo Starnina (c. 1360–1413) was an Italian painter from Florence in the Quattrocento era. According to the biographer Giorgio Vasari, Starnina initially trained with Antonio Veneziano, then with Agnolo Gaddi. He is…
