Who painted The Virgin and Child?

The Virgin and Child was painted by Master of the Female Half-Lengths in 1530.

Where can I see The Virgin and Child?

The Virgin and Child is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is The Virgin and Child?

The Virgin and Child is associated with Mannerism.

Can I buy a print of The Virgin and Child?

Museum-quality prints of The Virgin and Child are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Virgin and Child

Master of the Female Half-Lengths , 1530

The Virgin and Child is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Master of the Female Half-Lengths. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition portrays the Madonna and Child, a central iconographic motif in Catholic devotional art symbolizing maternal tenderness and divine incarnation.

The composition portrays the Madonna and Child, a central iconographic motif in Catholic devotional art symbolizing maternal tenderness and divine incarnation. The Virgin’s serene expression and the Child’s blessing gesture reinforce themes of spiritual protection and heavenly intercession, reflecting Counter‑Reformation emphases on personal piety. Rendered in oil on panel, the work’s intimate half‑length format was typical of private devotion in the Netherlands during the mid‑sixteenth century, inviting contemplation of the sacred relationship between mother and son.

Technique & Style

The painting is executed in oil on panel, a medium typical of Netherlandish panel painting of the mid-sixteenth century. The handling combines precise, smooth modeling of flesh with delicate linear drapery folds, characteristic of the Master of the Female Half-Lengths’ refined, courtly idiom. The composition centers on a close, tender interaction between Virgin and Child, framed by a shallow, almost sculptural space that emphasizes volumetric form and restrained gesture.

The panel support measures 53.2 cm in height by 42.4 cm in width, consistent with devotional formats intended for private contemplation.

Stylistic features include the Virgin’s elongated fingers holding the Christ Child, the softly modeled faces with delicate transitions of light, and the patterned gold brocade of her mantle, all hallmarks of the workshop’s mannered elegance.

History & Provenance

The Virgin and Child, an oil-on-panel painting attributed to the Master of the Female Half-Lengths, was created in the Netherlands. While some records suggest a possible creation window extending to 1550, the work is canonically dated to 1530. The piece depicts the Madonna and Child, consistent with the artist's religious genre focus.

Currently held by the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the painting measures 53.2 cm in height and 42.4 cm in width. No specific details regarding the original commission, the identity of the initial patron, or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its arrival at the Hermitage are provided in the available sources.

The Virgin and Child is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. According to the Wikidata record for the work, it is part of the Hermitage's holdings and located there.

No inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.

Overview

The Virgin and Child is a 1530 oil painting attributed to Master of the Female Half-Lengths, held at the State Hermitage Museum.