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Italian, Milanese, 'The Virgin and Child', perhaps about 1500-25

About the work

This work is a badly damaged fragment of a fresco. It shows the Virgin holding the naked infant Christ on her knee. The Christ Child raises his hand in a gesture of blessing while looking down towards the left. The direction of his gaze and that of the Virgin suggests that he may originally have been blessing another figure included in the fresco, possibly the kneeling donor who commissioned it.

The fresco was probably painted by a Milanese artist influenced by the work of Leonardo da Vinci, an echo noticeable in the appearance of the Virgin and Christ Child. It is painted in the style of Boltraffio, who was an assistant and follower of Leonardo’s, and also resembles the work of the Master of the Pala Sforzesca, who painted an altarpiece now in the Brera, Milan. However, the picture is too damaged to be able to say for certain who painted it.

Key facts

Full title
The Virgin and Child
Artist
Italian, Milanese
Date made
perhaps about 1500-25
Medium and support
fresco
Dimensions
73.5 × 45.1 cm
Acquisition credit
Bequeathed by the Misses Cohen as part of the John Samuel collection, 1906
Inventory number
NG2089
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

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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