Artwork
Madonna and Child with Angels
Madonna and Child with Angels is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created around 1500 by the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, this religious painting centers on the Madonna and Child as its primary subject.
Created around 1500 by the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, this religious painting centers on the Madonna and Child as its primary subject. The composition features the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, accompanied by angels. As a work of religious art, the iconography adheres to traditional Christian representations of the Holy Family, emphasizing the divine nature of Jesus through his association with his mother and celestial attendants.
The presence of angels typically signifies reverence and the heavenly status of the figures depicted. Originally owned by Benjamin Altman before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the piece serves as a devotional image intended to inspire contemplation of the sacred bond between mother and son within the context of Christian theology.
History & Provenance
The painting is attributed to the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio and dated by the museum to circa 1500. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the bequest of Benjamin Altman in 1913, placing it in New York by the early twentieth century. It is cataloged as a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and angels.
No documented commission or early provenance prior to Altman's ownership has been established in the available sources, and no specific accession number or exhibition history is recorded.
Context
The painting, dated to circa 1500 and classified as a religious work, is attributed to the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having entered through the Benjamin Altman bequest. It belongs to the tradition of Florentine devotional images of the Madonna and Child produced in and around Ghirlandaio's workshop. Its inclusion in the museum's collection reflects its standing as a representative example of the workshop's studio practice.
Overview
This painting, titled "Madonna and Child with Angels," presents a central female figure cradling an infant, flanked by two winged attendants. The composition emphasizes a tender interaction between the mother and child, with the surrounding figures contributing to the devotional atmosphere. The artwork is characterized by its subdued palette and a sense of gentle tranquility across the scene.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a distinctive approach to rendering forms, particularly evident in the serene faces of the Madonna and Child, which appear smooth and luminous. The background features subtle, indistinct patterns, suggesting a draped fabric or architectural element. A notable characteristic is the soft, gradual transition between colors and tones, creating a delicate, almost ethereal quality, especially in the figures' skin and expressions. This smooth blending is often associated with the sfumato technique.
Artist & collection
- The Virgin and St. John Worshipping the Christ
The Virgin and St. John Worshipping the Christ
Mary with the child and two angels
The Virgin and Blessing Child, Young St. John and Angel
Mary with the child and two saints
Madonna in Adoration
Madonna mit dem Schleier (Kopie nach)
Virgin Adoring the Christ Child with St. John the Baptist and Two Angels
Madonna of the Candelabra
Mary with the child, St. Francis and the young st. John
Maria mit Kind
Madonna and Child with Angels
