Youngs Antiques has dated this 16th Century Madonna Painting to the 16th Century.
The symbolism of the breast feeding of the milk from the madonna was often seen as the milk being as processed blood, or the milk of the virgin being of paralleled role to the blood of christ. These form of paintings were known to exhist from as early as the 12th century, and were popular through the 13th and 14th centuries in Tuscany and Iberia. A number of examples of these paintings were painted in the 16th century in Ferrara and Bologna, and were also painted by dutch and flemish artists such as Joos Van Cleve 1485-1541, who painted many variations of the nursing madonna, some of which that were part painted by him and his students, in the Dutch Italinate renaissance style.
This portrait of the madonna is well painted and a powerful picture, which shows the artists use of light and dark ,but also the use of subtle vibrant colours to create a bold and meaningful image, which was a typical feature for italian art during this period. The portrait shows the holy madonna holding the infant jesus under her left arm, his head surrounded with a beaming halo crown. She has her head slightly turned to her left and looking down to feed jesus. Her clothes are a vibrant red dress with a blue cloak, which is only visibly blue from her hood, where the light from her hallow is picking out highlights of colour. The background of the picture depicts a window to the left looking out at an italian landscape with a castle in the distance.
The portait is oil on canvas and shows a lot of Craquelure to the surface of the painting.
The painting has been relined and reconsolidated commensurate with age, and is set with in a later 17th century gilt carved sunderland type frame, bearing a coat of arms at the top.
The painting is in excellent condition with some minor losses to the gilding on the frame.
Overall measurements
Height 93.5cm x width 85cm x depth 4.5cm
Sight size
Height 64cm x Width 53.5cm
Youngs Antiques has dated this 16th Century Madonna Painting to the 16th Century.
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A 16th Century Portrait of Madonna and Child - Follower of Benvenuto Tisi.
