Artwork
Madonna and Child
Madonna and Child is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Vincenzo Foppa. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A woman in a bright red robe holds a small child close, both circled by golden halos against a soft blue sky with faint hills. Her face is serious, the red dress trimmed in gold with long, snug sleeves, while the calm child wears a small halo of his own. Vincenzo Foppa painted it around 1490.
Subject & Meaning
The piece serves as a visual representation of this sacred dyad, consistent with the artist's body of religious works from the late 15th century.
The work depicts the traditional religious subject of the Madonna and Child, featuring the Virgin Mary alongside the Christ Child. Created by Vincenzo Foppa in 1480, this painting falls squarely within the genre of religious art. As the main subject, the composition centers on the maternal relationship between Mary and her son, a standard iconographic theme in Christian devotional imagery.
The piece serves as a visual representation of this sacred dyad, consistent with the artist's body of religious works from the late 15th century. The depiction aligns with established conventions of the period, focusing entirely on the figures of Mary and the infant Jesus without additional narrative elements specified in the available records.
Technique & Style
The Madonna and Child by Vincenzo Foppa, created in 1480, is a painting executed on a support measuring 43.8 cm in height and 32.1 cm in width. Classified as religious art, the work depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, adhering to the formal conventions of the genre. While the specific ground preparation or pigment composition is not detailed in the available records, the piece is identified as a painting held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The dimensions and date establish the physical parameters of the work, which remains a significant example of Foppa's output from the late fifteenth century. The current condition and specific handling techniques of the medium are not explicitly described in the provided sources, though the work's classification confirms its status as a painted panel or canvas typical of the period.
History & Provenance
The painting Madonna and Child was created by the Italian artist Vincenzo Foppa, with its inception dated to 1480. Classified as a religious work, the piece depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. The artwork currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which also serves as its location.
While the specific circumstances of its original commission and the detailed chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not elaborated upon in the available records, the work is firmly attributed to Foppa and established within the late fifteenth-century context.
The painting Madonna and Child by Vincenzo Foppa, dated to 1480, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, which depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, measures 43.8 cm in height and 32.1 cm in width. While the sources confirm its current location and classification as a religious painting within the museum's holdings, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they list any past or present exhibition history for this specific object.
Overview
Vincenzo Foppa, a prominent painter of the Early Renaissance, created this Madonna and Child around 1490. Born in Brescia between 1427 and 1430, Foppa was a leading figure of the Early Lombard School, working extensively across Lombardy and Liguria, including for the Sforza court. This painting exemplifies his characteristic approach to religious subjects, presenting a tender depiction of the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ. It is now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
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Artist
Vincenzo Foppa (Brescia, c. 1427–1430 – Brescia, c. 1515–1516) was an Italian painter from the Renaissance period. While few of his works survive, he was an esteemed and influential painter during his time and is…
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