Artwork
Madonna and Child
Madonna and Child is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Legend of the Magdalene. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Executed on oak around 1496, this panel painting belongs to the Northern Renaissance tradition.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a Nursing Madonna breastfeeding her child, a specific iconographic type within the broader Virgin and Child tradition. This depiction emphasizes maternal care and domestic intimacy, reflecting late medieval devotional practices focused on Christ's humanity. The work belongs to the religious art genre and was created circa 1490 in Brussels using oak panel as the support medium.
Technique & Style
The work is executed on an oak panel, a support characteristic of late medieval Netherlandish painting.
The work is executed on an oak panel, a support characteristic of late medieval Netherlandish painting. classifies the medium as an oak panel painting, and corroborates the material and identifies the production location as Brussels, situating the work within the workshop practice of the Master of the Legend of the Magdalene around 1490.
Stylistically, the subject is a Nursing Madonna, a devotional type depicting the Virgin breastfeeding the Christ Child, as recorded in, which also notes the composition is based on the broader Virgin and Child tradition. The genre is classified as religious art in both sources.
History & Provenance
The painting Madonna and Child was created in 1490 by the Master of the Legend of the Magdalene, depicting a nursing Madonna breastfeeding her child. It was made on an oak panel in Brussels and belongs to the religious art genre. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection and is classified as a religious painting from the late 15th century.
The attribution to the Master of the Legend of the Magdalene is supported by its presence in the museum's collection and stylistic analysis, though specific provenance details before its acquisition by the Rijksmuseum are not provided in the sources. The work's creation date of 1490 is confirmed by the inception metadata, and its medium and material align with the oak panel classification noted in the records.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is inventoried as SK-C-1817.
It has been exhibited by the Rijksmuseum in the permanent display of Dutch medieval art, including in the recent reinstallation of the Gallery of Honour where early Netherlandish works are shown.
Context
Created around 1490 in Brussels, this panel painting is a significant example of the Master of the Legend of the Magdalene's work within the Northern Renaissance tradition. The piece depicts the Nursing Madonna, a specific iconographic type where the Virgin Mary breastfeeds the Christ Child, reflecting contemporary religious devotion and artistic trends in the region. Executed on oak panel, the work is currently held by the Rijksmuseum, contributing to the scholarly understanding of the Master's oeuvre and the development of religious art in late 15th-century Flanders.
Overview
Executed on oak around 1496, this panel painting belongs to the Northern Renaissance tradition. It portrays the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Christ, set against a warm, golden backdrop. The composition emphasizes a quiet, intimate exchange between mother and child, rendered with restrained color and a calm atmosphere.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Legend of the Magdalene
The Master of the Legend of the Magdalen (sometimes called the Master of the Magdalen Legend) was an Early Netherlandish painter active from circa 1483 to 1527.
