Artwork
Virgin and Child
Virgin and Child is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Mansi Magdalen. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a piece of religious genre painting, the iconography focuses on the humanization of divine figures, a common theme in Northern Renaissance devotional works.
Created around 1520 by the Master of the Mansi Magdalen, this oil painting on panel depicts the Madonna and Child, a central subject in religious art. The work features the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, representing the theological bond between mother and son. As a piece of religious genre painting, the iconography focuses on the humanization of divine figures, a common theme in Northern Renaissance devotional works.
The depiction serves as a visual aid for contemplation, emphasizing the intimacy and sanctity of the holy family.
Technique & Style
The Virgin and Child is painted in oil on a wooden panel. Its support measures 48.6 cm in height by 38.7 cm in width, confirming its status as a small devotional panel. The composition places the Madonna and Child centrally, with a gentle, intimate gaze and subtle modeling of flesh achieved through layered glazes of oil paint.
Formal qualities include a restrained palette, delicate chiaroscuro, and a focus on the tender relationship between mother and child, reflecting the religious genre and the Master's emphasis on graceful figure handling.
History & Provenance
Created in 1520 by the Master of the Mansi Magdalen, the Virgin and Child is an oil painting on panel measuring 48.6 by 38.7 centimeters. The work was exhibited at the Exposition des primitifs flamands à Bruges. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Virgin and Child, was created around 1520 by an artist known as the Master of the Mansi Magdalen. The work presents a traditional religious subject, depicting Mary with the infant Jesus. It is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it offers insight into early 16th-century devotional art.
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