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Follower of Sandro Botticelli, 'The Virgin and Child', probably about 1485-1500

About the work

Overview

The dark background and absence of any furnishings focus attention on the Virgin Mary, who makes direct eye contact with the viewer. She stands underneath an open curtain, holding her infant son as if to prevent him from falling from the narrow ledge in the foreground. A transparent veil does little to conceal Christ’s body.

The pose of the Virgin and Christ Child is very close to the central part of the altarpiece that Sandro Botticelli made for the Florentine church of S. Barnaba during the late 1480s. Numerous assistants in Botticelli’s workshop would have been tasked to meet the high demand for copies after this popular altarpiece.

The small dimensions of this panel could possibly have allowed its original owner, perhaps a Florentine merchant, to take it on his travels. Its current frame was made in the nineteenth century to resemble an original one.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Virgin and Child
Artist
Follower of Sandro Botticelli
Artist dates
about 1445 - 1510
Date made
probably about 1485-1500
Medium and support
egg tempera on wood
Dimensions
29.5 × 19.7 cm
Acquisition credit
Layard Bequest, 1916
Inventory number
NG3082
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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