Art Talk: Madonna and Child Tour

This Madonna and Child tour was first given at the National Gallery of Art in DC on Feb. 25, 2008. I am excited to bring it to my blog this month as Christians around the world are celebrating Christ's birth this month with Christmas.

Raphael
The Small Cowper Madonna, 1505

The Madonna and Child is one of the central icons of Christianity. Madonna is a medieval Italian term for a noble or otherwise important woman, and has long been used commonly in reference to images of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus

During the 15th and 16th centuries Italian painters started painting historical events, independent portraits and mythological subjects, it was religious subjects that were most common as commissions were from from religious patrons and were used to decorate churches.

Most of the art we are going to see on this tour is from the 15th and 16th century in Italy and was also on my first Art Talk of 2020 Art Talk: NGA Italian Renaissance Tour.

Watch the transformation of the Madonna and baby Jesus.

Let's start with oldest painting on the tour. This was done by a Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) artist in 1280.

It is tempera on wood. Tempera is a method of using, egg yolk and colored pigments to as the paint medium. This method was used until the 1400s when oil painting gained popularity.

In 1280 paintings were used as decoration for churches and there for the paintings during this time were religious in nature as we see with this Madonna and child.

There is a lot of symbolism in this painting let's talk about the colors. The gold represents the light of god, and the gold leaf would reflect candlelight. The blue that Mary is wearing is considered sacred and is very valuable. The blue color is made from lapis lazuli and was very costly and rare. The red of Christ's robe represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice.

Byzantine artist

Enthroned Madonna and Child, 1280

Giotto
Madonna and Child, 1320

In just 40 years we see wonderful improvements to this same subject of Madona and Child.

Giotto (Giotto di Bondone) lived 1266-1276 near Florence, Italy. He is known as the father of European painting.

Here you can see how the people look more realistic. Jesus is holding his mother's finger and grabbing for the flower like a child. The flower is a white rose and is a symbol of Mary's purity.

Now we jump 150 years and take a look at two Florentine painters that did a Madonna and Child in 1470. We see some similarities, especially how Mary is dressed and some great advances in the interaction between the mother and baby.

These mothers are holding their sons with both hands and affection, even touching baby Jesus's cheek.

What do you think of their expressions?

To me in the Fra Filippo Lippi both subjects look very somber and not very interested in the other or their is something else on their mind. The halo's are very prominent in this picture. In the Botticelli I like how the child and mother are looking at each other.

As in the previous two paintings Mary is wearing a blue robe, signifying her royalty. Interesting to see that in this painting she is also wearing red. In the first painting we looked at Christ was wearing a red robe, representing his blood and sacrifice.

Sandro Botticelli
Madonna and Child, 1470

Fra Filippo Lippi and Peselino
Madonna and Child, 1470

Both Fra Filippo Lippi and Sandro Botticelli painted adoration pictures too. Which I though appropriate to add to this December online Madonna and Child tour.

Sandro Botticelli
The Adoration of the Magi, 1478/1482

Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi
The Adoration of the Magi, 1440/1460

Here we have two sculptures of Madonna and Child both done in 1400's Florence. We can see the interaction between the mother and child is more realistic. In the Rossellino piece we still see the halos around the head of Mary and Jesus. Also I find it refreshing that both of the babies have chubby little legs!

Antonio Rossellino
Madonna and Child, 1475/1478

Florentine
Madonna and Child, 1425
Painted and gilded terracotta with wood backing

As we look at these last two pictures done in the late 1400s and early 1500s you will see similarities and some major differences. Both of the Madonna and Child pictures have landscape scenes in them. Why do you think these artists add landscape to this very religious picture of Mary and Jesus?

Albrecht Durer, German
Madonna and Child, 1496/1528

Raphael
The Small Cowper Madonna, 1505

As I mentioned the theme of Madonna and Child is very popular, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries. There are 183 Madonna and Child works of art in the National Gallery's collection and we looked at 8 of them.

Art Talk Series Highlights

2020
Art Talk: Recycled Plastic Art Movement
Art Talk: Gates of Paradise
Art Talk: Sunrise as abstract art

March- Italian Renaissance
Art Talk: NGA Italian Renaissance Tour
Art Talk: Raphael
Art Talk: Venus
Art Talk: Egg Tempera
Art Talk: Guest Blogger, @laurabellamy

April- French Impressionism
Art Talk: NGA French Impressionism Tour
Art Talk: Fredric Bazille
Art Talk: The Mother and Sister of the Artist
Art Talk: En plein air

May- Hudson River School
Art Talk: NGA Hudson River School Tour
Art Talk: Albert Bierstadt
Art Talk: The Voyage of Life
Art Talk: Romanticism & Nature & Hudson River School

June-Andrew Mellon and the Hermitage
Art Talk: NGA Andrew Mellon and the Hermitage Tour
Art Talk: Rembrandt
Art Talk: The Annunciation
Art Talk: Provenance

July-Portraiture
Art Talk: NGA Portrait Tour
Art Talk: Rembrandt Peale
Art Talk: Portrait of My Grandmother

October- NGA Highlights
Art Talk: NGA Highlights tour
Art Talk: Artist highlight
Art Talk: Ginevra de’ Benci

November- Dale Chihuly
Art Talk: Chihuly at Cheekwood Estate and Garden
Art Talk: Artist Dale Chihuly
Art Talk: Guest Blogger: Frankie O'Neill
Art Talk: I am a Chihuly Groupie

2018
Art Talk: Introduction
Art Talk: Emotion in Bronze
Art Talk: Moore Across America
Art Talk: Bronze
Art Talk: Moore in America
Art Talk: King and Queen
Art Talk: Art Tells Our Story
Art Talk: Highlight Tour of the MET
Art Talk: The Burghers of Calais
Art Talk: Auguste Rodin
Art Talk: Art in Paris in the 1870s
Art Talk: Guest Blogger, Frankie O'Neill
Art Talk: "Felt is a happy fabric."
Art Talk: Murals in Klamath Falls
Art Talk: Woman with a Parasol- Madame Monet and Her Son
Art Talk: Respect and Compassion