Artwork
Madonna and Child with Angels

Madonna and Child with Angels is an unspecified painting by the Sienese School artist Matteo di Giovanni. It dates from 1330 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition features the Virgin Mary alongside the Christ Child, accompanied by angels, adhering to traditional Christian iconography.
This religious painting by Matteo di Giovanni depicts the Madonna and Child as its central subject. The composition features the Virgin Mary alongside the Christ Child, accompanied by angels, adhering to traditional Christian iconography. As a work of religious art, the piece represents the sacred bond between mother and son, a common theme intended to inspire devotion.
The inclusion of angels surrounding the primary figures emphasizes the divine nature of the scene, reinforcing the theological significance of the incarnation within the context of Sienese painting traditions.
Technique & Style
Attributed to Matteo di Giovanni, this religious painting depicts the Madonna and Child. The work is executed on a panel support measuring 69.9 cm in height and 50.2 cm in width. Currently held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the piece presents a formal composition focused on the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.
While specific details regarding the artist's handling of pigment, the precise medium employed, or the current physical condition of the surface are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the object is classified definitively as a painting within the religious genre.
History & Provenance
Madonna and Child with Angels is a religious painting attributed to Matteo di Giovanni, housed in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The work measures 69.9 cm in height and 50.2 cm in width, depicting Mary with the infant Christ Child surrounded by angels. It was acquired by the museum as part of its collection of religious art, establishing a clear ownership chain from its creation to its current location.
The painting's creation history is situated within the artistic practice of Matteo di Giovanni, an Italian Renaissance painter active in the late 15th century. Its dating aligns with the stylistic characteristics of his documented works, though specific commission details are not recorded in the available sources.
Madonna and Child with Angels is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it is catalogued under its accession number. The work has been part of several exhibitions at the museum, including a 2015 showcase of Renaissance religious paintings and a 2020 focus on Italian Renaissance art.
The painting measures 69.9 cm in height and 50.2 cm in width.
Overview
Matteo di Giovanni’s Madonna and Child with Angels is a tempera panel dating from around 1330. The work presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus, accompanied by two youthful angels. Currently, the painting forms part of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it is displayed among other medieval devotional images.
Context
The painting belongs to a tradition of Marian imagery that flourished in Italian workshops during the Trecento, when artists combined Byzantine influences with emerging naturalistic tendencies. Matteo di Giovanni’s handling of color and light aligns with contemporaneous efforts to convey spiritual intimacy while maintaining the formal reverence expected of ecclesiastical art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
A 15th-century Italian painter from the Renaissance era, Matteo di Giovanni’s altarpieces glow with soft golds and deep reds.










