2 - Madonna and Child

Madonna and Child Florence, Renaissance Tempera on wood 33.5 x 30 cm, with frame 63 x 57 cm Depictions of the Madonna were among the central themes of Florentine Renaissance painting. Particularly in small-format devotional paintings, the religious significance of the motif was combined with a lifelike portrayal of maternal affection. The painting depicts Mary with the naked infant Jesus, flanked by other saints. The frame, inscribed with “AVE MARIA,” underscores the devotional nature of the depiction. The child stands on a base that also forms the lower edge of the painting. Mary holds him close to her right side, cupping his hip with her right hand and supporting his left foot with her left. Her red dress and blue outer garment correspond to the traditional color scheme of Marian depictions. The red cross-shaped nimbus identifies the child as Christ and alludes to his later Passion. With his right hand, he reaches for Mary’s veil; his gaze is directed toward her, yet seems to pass right by her. Mary tilts her head and looks down at her son. The striking physiognomy and the interrelated gestures lend the scene a special immediacy. Her holding onto the veil and gently supporting Jesus’s body condense the depiction into a heartfelt image of the relationship between mother and child.