Who painted Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels?

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels was painted by Neri di Bicci in 1445.

Where can I see Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels?

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels is held by Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

What movement is Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels?

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels is associated with Early Renaissance.

Artwork

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels

Neri di Bicci , 1445

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Neri di Bicci. It dates from 1445 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Created in 1445, this tempera panel presents the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the infant Christ, flanked by four diminutive angels.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The presence of the attending angels reinforces the sacred nature of the scene, framing the mother and child in a context of heavenly worship.

The painting depicts the Madonna and Child, a central subject in Christian religious art. The composition features the Virgin Mary enthroned with the Christ Child, accompanied by four angels. This iconography emphasizes the divine status of Jesus and the role of Mary as the Queen of Heaven, seated in majesty.

The presence of the attending angels reinforces the sacred nature of the scene, framing the mother and child in a context of heavenly worship. As a work of the mid-15th century, the image serves as a devotional object intended to inspire reverence and contemplation of the Incarnation.

Technique & Style

Created in 1445, the Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels is executed in tempera on a panel support. The work measures 155 cm in height and 89 cm in width, presenting a vertical format typical of devotional altarpieces from the mid-15th century. Stylistically, the painting adheres to the religious art tradition of the period, depicting the Madonna and Child as the central subjects.

The medium of tempera on wood reflects the standard technical practices of Neri di Bicci's workshop, prioritizing durability and precise detail in the rendering of sacred figures.

History & Provenance

The painting Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels was created in 1445 by the Florentine artist Neri di Bicci. Executed in tempera on panel, the work measures 155 cm in height and 89 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The specific commission details and earlier ownership history are not provided in the available records.

The painting Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels by Neri di Bicci is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Created in 1445, this tempera work on panel depicts the Madonna and Child. The provided sources confirm its current location but do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers, nor do they list any past exhibitions for this artwork.

Context

The painting Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels by Neri di Bicci, created in 1445, exemplifies early Renaissance religious art through its use of tempera on panel and compositional focus on the Madonna and Child within a hierarchical framework. Its stylistic traits, such as the flattened spatial depth and emphasis on devotional intimacy, situate it within the broader context of 15th-century Florentine workshops, where devotional imagery was produced for both private and ecclesiastical patronage. The work’s presence in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston underscores its significance as a representative example of Neri di Bicci’s output, though scholarly attention has often centered on his later innovations rather than this early piece.

Art historical discourse situates it as part of a transitional phase in devotional painting, bridging Gothic conventions with emerging naturalistic tendencies in Quattrocento art.

Overview

Created in 1445, this tempera panel presents the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the infant Christ, flanked by four diminutive angels. The composition is framed by an architectural arch with columns and red decorative elements, and the figures are rendered in vivid yet slightly muted gold, blue, and red tones characteristic of early Renaissance devotional art.

The Virgin and Child enthroned with two angels, Bartolommeo Caporali

Artist & collection

Artist

Neri di Bicci

Neri di Bicci (1419–1491) was an Italian painter active in his native Florence. A prolific painter of mainly religious themes, he studied under his father, Bicci di Lorenzo, who had in turn studied under his father,…