Madonna and Child with Angels
third quarter 15th century
Medium
Painted and gilt stucco; wood frame (not original to relief)
Dimensions
relief, visible as framed, confirmed: 32 7/8 × 22 1/2 in., 70 lb. (83.5 × 57.2 cm, 31.8 kg) Framed (overall, without arched top (b), confirmed): 45 3/4 × 36 1/2 in. (116.2 × 92.7 cm) Framed (overall framed, with arched top painting): 65 3/4 × 39 in. (167 × 99.1 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George Blumenthal, 1941
Accession Number
41.190.40a
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Renaissance tradition of Florence, *Madonna and Child with Angels by Antonio Rossellino (ca. 1427–1479) captures the tender devotion central to 15th-century Italian religious. Created in the third quarter of the 1400s, this painted and gilt stucco relief portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ, surrounded by adoring angels—a motif evoking divine grace and maternal love that adorned churches, homes, and chapels across Tuscany. Rossellino, a master of the Florentine school alongside his brother Bernardo, excelled in low-relief sculpture (stiacciato), where subtle depth creates a painterly illusion. Here, the modeled stucco is vividly painted and gilded, lending a luminous, jewel-like quality that mimics costly marble or gold leaf altarpieces. This innovative technique made such works accessible for private devotion, blending sculpture and painting in a hallmark of early Renaissance experimentation. Now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the bequest of George Blumenthal (1941), this framed relief (originally without its wood frame) stands as a testament to Florence's artistic golden age, inviting visitors to ponder the humanity in sacred icons.
About the Artist
Antonio Rossellino · 1427–1479
Comment on works: sculptor