Madonna and Child

Alternate title

Mater Admirabilis

Style of Sandro Botticelli Italian, 1445 - 1510

Date1500-1550

Period16th century

Classification(s)

Art / Paintings

Object TypePainting

Registration NumberFAS/P/141

DescriptionThe Madonna appears to hold the Divine Son in three-quarter length within a niche. An inscription 'MATER ADMIRABILIS' appears in the lower extremity of the painting. This panel is based on the central figures of the Madonna and Child in the San Barnaba Alterpiece (c. 1488-90) by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1445 – 1510), at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The Madonna appears idealised but sad, referencing that of the famous protagonist in the 'Birth of Venus' painting. The delicate veil, the sharply defined and flowing contours of both the mother and child, along with the overall posture and technique of the painting, are unmistakably characteristic of Botticelli’s style. Botticelli and his workshop are known to have made versions of this Madonna and Child, primarily the one known as the Benson Madonna. The lesser quality of this painting in the MUŻA collection indicates that it was made by an artist who adopted Botticelli's style. It is possible that the left hand vertical strip and the inscribed area are later additions.Material

Tempera on wood

Technique

Painting

DimensionsUnframed: 74 x 57 cmProvenancePurchased in 1933-1934Published ReferencesMuseum Annual Report 1933-34.

Alternate ID Numbers