Artwork
Standing Virgin and Child
Standing Virgin and Child is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1420 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This painting depicts the Virgin Mary standing and cradling the Christ Child in her arms.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts the Madonna and Child, a central subject in religious art featuring the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ.
The work depicts the Madonna and Child, a central subject in religious art featuring the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ. Created around 1420, this anonymous painting presents the figures in a standing composition, consistent with the devotional iconography of the early 15th century. As a piece of religious genre, the imagery represents the theological relationship between the mother and son, emphasizing themes of maternal care and divine incarnation.
The depiction of Mary and the Christ Child serves as a focal point for veneration within the Christian tradition, illustrating the human and divine aspects of the figures through their physical proximity and interaction.
History & Provenance
The Standing Virgin and Child is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, with the accession number 65.215.2. The painting entered the museum’s holdings as part of its 1965 acquisition from the collection of Robert Lehman. It has not been exhibited in major traveling exhibitions since its acquisition, remaining primarily in the museum’s permanent galleries of European paintings.
Context
The work known as Standing Virgin and Child, dated to 1420, exemplifies early 15th‑century devotional painting in which the Virgin is depicted upright with the infant Christ. As an anonymous piece classified as a religious painting, it reflects the period’s emphasis on Marian imagery and the growing popularity of intimate Madonna‑Child compositions in European art. Its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection has prompted scholarly documentation, underscoring its relevance to studies of anonymous masters and the evolution of devotional art in the early Renaissance.
Overview
This painting depicts the Virgin Mary standing and cradling the Christ Child in her arms. Mary is attired in a long white robe, beneath which a red garment is visible, and a gold crown rests upon her head. Her expression is serene as she gazes downward at the nude infant, who in turn looks up at her. A dark background serves to emphasize the central figures.
Technique & Style
The artist utilized a dark, unadorned background to bring the figures into sharp relief. The application of chiaroscuro, characterized by strong contrasts between light and shadow, is central to the painting's visual impact. This technique effectively models the forms, imbuing them with a sense of three-dimensional volume and depth, enhancing their presence.
Artist & collection
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