Virgin and Child
Workshop of Rogier van der Weyden
1460
oil
panel
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Workshop of Rogier van der Weyden
1460
oil
panel
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Virgin and Child is a 1460 oil by Workshop of Rogier van der Weyden, a Northern Renaissance work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
The painting shows the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus. It's a quiet moment between mother and child. The artist used oil paint to create a sense of depth and realism. The Art Institute of Chicago has this painting on display, which is worth a look to see the details up close, and to learn more about the technique of glazing.
This tender painting is an image type known as a Madonna lactans , which depicts the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus, highlighting her role as nurturer and intercessor between the human and divine realms. To convey the close connection between mother and son, Rogier van der Weyden exploited the qualities of oil paint, a highly manipulable medium that can be blended while wet. This characteristic allows for realistic modeling through seamless transitions of light and shadow, seen most poignantly here in the slight indentations of Mary’s fingers in the infant’s skin where she supports him.
Vincent Steyaert, Bruges, by 1867 [lent by him to Bruges 1867]. Dr. De Meyer, Bruges, by 1884 [according to Hymans 1884 and 1902]. J. Mathys, Brussels, by 1902 [lent by him to Bruges 1902]; sold, Galerie J. & A. Le Roy Frères, Brussels, Dec. 18, 1911, no. 11, to Steinmeyer & Fils, Paris; sold to Martin A. Ryerson (d. 1932), Chicago, June 23, 1913 [invoice; Art Institute Archives]; on loan to the Art Institute from 1915; bequeathed to the Art Institute, 1933.
Bruges, Grande Salle des Halles, Tableaux de l’ancienne école néerlandaise, 1867, no. 18, as unknown master. Bruges, Hôtel de Gouvernement Provincial, Exposition des primitifs flamands et d’art ancien, 1902, no. 28. Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress, 1933, no. 56. Art Institute of Chicago A Century of Progress, 1934, no. 129. Art Institute of Chicago, The Christmas Story in Art, 1938–39 (no cat.). The Art Institute of Chicago, New Light on Old Masters: Research on Northern European and Spanish Paintings before 1600 in the Art Institute, 26 June—14 September 2008, no cat.
Read the full account in the museum source.
This 15th-century workshop made quiet, glowing oil panels of religious scenes. Their Virgin and Child (c. 1460) shows a calm mother and child wrapped in soft reds and blues, lit like a candle in a dark church. It…
See the richer artist page
![Madonna and Child [obverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/d7b8ebf05d22ebe5/thumb.webp)