Madonna and Child
Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish
ca. 1615-1618
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Accession Number
1929.6.91
Tags
ChristMary
About this artwork
This image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus is a version of one that appears in a Rubens triptych commissioned around 1617 for the Antwerp Cathedral. In this tender scene, Mary gently touches the childâs foot with her right hand and balances him with her left hand, as if helping him to take his first step. The focus is more on Christâs humanity than his divinity. The painting entered the National Collection of Fine Arts (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum) from the collection of John Gellat...