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Virgin and Child

ca. 1480–90
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 636
Devotional images of the breastfeeding Virgin became extremely popular in fifteenth-century painting, particularly in Bruges, where the Sint-Donaaskerk housed relics of Mary’s hair and milk. This particular version combines venerable elements of the Byzantine icon tradition, like the gold background, with the increased realism and tenderness of contemporary Netherlandish painting. The frame is original, and holes for hinges (now plugged) indicate that the panel was formerly the central element of a triptych.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Virgin and Child
  • Artist: Follower of Rogier van der Weyden (Master of the Saint Ursula Legend Group, Netherlandish, active late 15th century)
  • Date: ca. 1480–90
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: Arched top, 22 1/8 x 13 1/2 in. (56.2 x 34.3 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.16
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

Audio

Cover Image for 2622. Investigations: Virgin and Child, Part 1

2622. Investigations: Virgin and Child, Part 1

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