Virgin and Child Enthroned between Saints Cecilia and Catherine of Alexandria
ca. 1510–15
Medium
Tempera on parchment; Underdrawing in sepia ink
Dimensions
7 15/16 x 6 1/16 in. (20.2 x 15.4cm)
Classification
Manuscripts and Illuminations
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2489
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,Virgin and Child Enthron between Saints Cecilia and Catherine Alexandria* by Francesco Morone (ca. 1510–15) is a delicate gem of Renaissance illumination. Measuring just 7 15/16 x 6 1/16 inches, this tempera on parchment work reveals Morone's mastery as a Brescian painter from northern Italy. The underdrawing in sepia—visible beneath the vivid pigments—highlights the meticulous preparatory process typical of manuscript illuminations, evoking the precision of medieval book art adapted to Renaissance humanism. At its hear...