1495
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Virgin and Child is a 1495 unspecified by Pinturicchio, a Early Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A woman in blue robes cradles a baby on a throne draped in deep red. The baby reaches for her face, fingers curled tight. This quiet scene glows with soft gold light. The gold isn’t just paint—it’s real gold leaf, beaten thin and pressed onto the wood. That’s rare for its time. Check out the real gold leaf next time you visit The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Bernardino di Betto, called Pinturicchio, is said to have acquired his nickname ("little painter") because of his small stature, and used it to sign some of his paintings. Born in Perugia, the provincial capital of Umbria, he trained under local artists, eventually becoming a paid assistant of the painter Perugino. He is known to have assisted Perugino on his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and eventually established his own reputation as a respected artist. Many of his commissions were for churches and wealthy families in Umbria and elsewhere. Though the source of this painting is unknown, it…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (US: , Italian: ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian Renaissance painter.
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