Madonna and Child
c. 1475
Medium
oil and tempera on panel transferred from panel
Dimensions
painted surface: 58.1 x 43.2 cm (22 7/8 x 17 in.) overall: 58.9 x 43.7 cm (23 3/16 x 17 3/16 in.) framed: 86.7 x 74.8 x 8.3 cm (34 1/8 x 29 7/16 x 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Accession Number
1937.1.30
Art Historical Context
Antonello da Messina’s *Madonna and Child* (c. 1475) presents the Virgin tenderly holding the infant Jesus against a dark background, a format that invites quiet contemplation. Created in the heart of the Italian Renaissance, the small panel was designed for private devotion, allowing viewers to connect intimately with the sacred figures. Its presence in the National Gallery of Art’s Andrew W. Mellon Collection underscores its enduring appeal as both a devotional object and a masterful painting. Antonello, a Sicilian artist active in the fifteenth century, was renowned for introducing Norther...