Artwork

The Virgin Holding The Child with both Hands

The Virgin Holding The Child with both Hands is an oil painting. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The piece has been linked stylistically to Rogier van der Weyden or the Master of the Gold Brocade, suggesting a connection to early Netherlandish traditions.

The Virgin Holding The Child with both Hands portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus, a standard Madonna and Child composition in Christian art that emphasizes maternal tenderness and the theological doctrine of the Incarnation. As a religious work, it belongs to the devotional subject matter common in late medieval painting, and its execution in oil on panel aligns with the techniques of the period. The piece has been linked stylistically to Rogier van der Weyden or the Master of the Gold Brocade, suggesting a connection to early Netherlandish traditions.

Technique & Style

The painting is an oil work on wooden panel, reflecting the material practice of early Netherlandish devotional art. The Virgin is shown cradling the Christ Child with both hands, a composition that emphasizes intimate connection and soft modeling typical of the period. Executed in oil paint, the surface displays the rich color saturation and fine detail associated with the Master of the Gold Brocade circle, while the panel support provides a stable ground for the delicate glazes. The work is catalogued as a religious painting in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

The Virgin Holding The Child with both Hands is an oil painting on panel that belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is catalogued as a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child and is attributed to an anonymous follower of either Rogier van der Weyden or the Master of the Gold Brocade, though the artist remains unidentified. No documentation records a specific commission or patronage, and the date of execution is not specified in the available records.

The painting’s provenance is limited to its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s collection of early Netherlandish works.

The work titled "The Virgin Holding The Child with both Hands" is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

It is classified as an oil painting on panel depicting the Madonna and Child, attributed to an unknown artist within the circle of Rogier van der Weyden or the Master of the Gold Brocade.

No accession number or specific exhibition records are provided in the source material.

Overview

The painting titled The Virgin Holding The Child with both Hands is an oil on canvas work depicting a maternal figure with an infant. The composition places the two central figures against a backdrop of elaborate architecture, including a gilded arch and a prominent seat. The artist employed oil paint to render the scene, emphasizing the tender connection between the woman and child within a formal setting.