Artwork
Madonna and Child with Angels
Madonna and Child with Angels is an oil painting. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, flanked by angels, a common subject in Italian Renaissance religious art.
The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, flanked by angels, a common subject in Italian Renaissance religious art. Mary is shown in a tender moment of breastfeeding, underscoring her role as both mother and intercessor, while the angels’ presence emphasizes the sacred nature of the scene. The composition aligns with traditional iconography of the Madonna and Child, reflecting devotional practices of the period.
The inclusion of breastfeeding, while naturalistic, carries theological significance, symbolizing Christ’s humanity and the Virgin’s nurturing role in salvation history. The work’s religious genre and Florentine attribution situate it within a broader tradition of Marian devotion, where such imagery served both didactic and contemplative functions for viewers.
Technique & Style
Created around 1500 by an anonymous Florentine painter, this religious work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The painting measures 85.1 cm in height and 61.3 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece depicts the Madonna and Child, specifically illustrating the Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Christ Child, accompanied by angels.
As a product of the early 16th-century Florentine tradition, the work utilizes the oil medium to render the sacred figures and their attendants within a vertical composition. The material combination of oil on panel was characteristic of the period's Italian painting practices, allowing for the detailed representation of the main subjects and the surrounding angelic figures.
History & Provenance
The painting Madonna and Child with Angels is dated to circa 1500 and is attributed to an anonymous Florentine artist. Executed in oil on panel, the work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is presently housed. The sources do not record any earlier ownership, commission, or detailed provenance beyond its current location at the Met.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Madonna and Child with Angels, presents a central composition featuring a woman seated on a throne-like chair, holding an infant. She is flanked by five standing figures, likely celestial attendants. The work exemplifies a common religious theme in art, focusing on the intimate relationship between mother and child within a sacred context. The medium of oil paint contributes to the depiction of soft forms and subtle details.
Artist & collection
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