The Virgin and Child
mid 16th century
Medium
bronze//Light brown patina
Dimensions
overall (oval): 4.7 x 4.1 cm (1 7/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.544
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the National Gallery of Art's Samuel H. Kress Collection *The Virgin and Child* is delicate bronze plaquette from mid-16th-century Italy. Measuring just 4.7 x 4.1 cm in an oval format, this intimate sculpture captures the timeless devotion to the Madonna and Christ Child, a central theme in Renaissance religious art. Crafted during the High Renaissance, when Italian artists mastered naturalistic expressions of tenderness and piety, it reflects the era's blend of spiritual fervor and humanistic detail. The light brown patina on the bronze surface speaks to centuries of careful prese...
About the Artist
Italian 16th Century
"Italian 16th Century" refers to a collective attribution for anonymous painters and sculptors active in Italy during the 16th century, a period bridging the High Renaissance and Mannerism. These artists, often working in workshops of masters like Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto, remain unidentified due to the collaborative nature of Renaissance production. Their early lives and training are not ...