The Madonna of Humility
c. 1430
Medium
tempera on panel
Dimensions
painted surface: 60.7 x 45.2 cm (23 7/8 x 17 13/16 in.) support: 62.8 x 47.2 cm (24 3/4 x 18 9/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Accession Number
1937.1.5
Art Historical Context
**The Madonna of Humility by Fra Angelico, around 1430, captures the Virgin Mary seated humbly on the ground, cradling the Christ Child in a serene, intimate moment. Fra Angelico, a Dominican friar and early Renaissance master from Florence (c. 1395–1455), painted this tempera-on-panel devotional work during a time when religious art emphasized spiritual purity and divine grace. Measuring about 24 x 18 inches, its modest scale suggests it was intended for private prayer, perhaps in a monk's cell or noble home, reflecting the era's growing demand for personal piety amid Italy's cultural rebirth...