Madonna and Child
ca. 1470
Medium
Tempera on wood, gold ground
Dimensions
Overall: 27 3/4 × 18 1/8 in. (70.5 × 46 cm) Painted surface: 24 1/4 × 14 3/4 in. (61.6 × 37.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.54
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil glow of its gold ground, *Madonna and Child* byvenuto di Giovanni (ca 1436–1518) captures the tender devotion central to late 15th-century Sien art. Created around 1470, this tempera on wood panel—measuring about 27¾ × 18⅛ inches—exemplifies the Italian Renaissance tradition of intimate devotional images. The Virgin Mary cradles the Christ Child in a classic pose, evoking spiritual intimacy for private worship in homes or chapels. Benvenuto, a prominent Sienese painter influenced by masters like Vecchietta and Francesco di Giorgio, blended lingering Gothic elegance with emergin...
About the Artist
Benvenuto di Giovanni · 1436–1528
Comment on works: religious