Madonna with Halo of Stars
17th century
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. James S. Harlan (Adeline M. Noble Collection)
Accession Number
1933.4.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, *Madonna with Halo of Stars* is a captivating 17th-century Italian painting by an unidentified artist. This devotional work depicts the Virgin Mary adorned with a radiant halo of, a celestial crown symbolizing her queenship in heaven, often accompanied by an angel. Such imagery draws from biblical visions, like the woman clothed with the sun in the Book of Revelation, ev Mary's purity and divine protection during a time of fervent Catholic devotion. Created amid Italy's Baroque era, the painting reflects the Counter-Reformation's pu...
About the Artist
Unidentified (Italian)
The designation "Italian" in art collections typically refers to an anonymous artist or a loose attribution to works from Italian schools, rather than a specific individual. With 173 known artworks in the museum's collection, this entry likely encompasses paintings by unidentified masters active across various periods, such as the Renaissance, Baroque, or later eras. Early life and personal detail...