5 - Flanders, Enthroned Madonna with Child and Angels.

Flanders, Enthroned Madonna with Child and Angels. Oil on wood. (c. 1600). Approx. 20.5 x 16 cm. We would like to thank Dr. Matthias Weniger, Munich, for his scholarly insights regarding this painting. The composition of this charming painting corresponds to that of a series of similar works from Flanders. Two angels flank the Madonna and Child seated on a throne: one offers a flower, while the other reads from a book. At the center of the composition, the nursing Mother of God is enthroned. Behind the group unfolds a richly ornamented, gold-ground brocade drapery that effectively highlights the central group of figures. The architectural openings on either side reveal a vast landscape and connect the sacred interior with the outside world. Particular attention should be paid to the precious textiles, the ornately patterned carpet, and the multicolored tiled floor, whose geometric layout lends the composition a sense of spatial depth. The delicate, detailed painting style, the subtle modeling of the faces, and the luminous colors are characteristic of Flemish painting around 1600. The painting follows in the tradition of the Marian images popular in Flemish art of that period, which combine religious devotion with the depiction of precious fabrics and a magnificent, courtly setting. Provenance: Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia (in the family for several generations). Taxation: subject to differential taxation (VAT: Margin Scheme).