Liberale da Verona, 'The Virgin and Child with Two Angels', probably about 1490-1510
About the work
Overview
The Virgin Mary stands or sits by an open window through which we can see a distant landscape. The Christ Child is cradled in her arms – he has the fingers of one hand in his mouth and clutches at his mother’s veil, which wraps around him, with the other. Two angels peer over the Virgin’s shoulder at the child: the one in the foreground holds a thistle, which was understood as a symbol of the Passion (Christ’s torture and crucifixion) on account of its thorns.
This small-scale painting was made for private devotion, and is usually accepted as a late work by Liberale da Verona, made after his return to his native city in 1492 or thereabouts.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Virgin and Child with Two Angels
- Artist
- Liberale da Verona
- Artist dates
- about 1445 - 1527/9
- Date made
- probably about 1490-1510
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 61 × 45.1 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1883
- Inventory number
- NG1134
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1946Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: British School, London 1946
-
1951Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, London 1951
-
1986Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, revised edn, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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.
Images
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