The Virgin and Child

15th century

North Italian 15th Century

Associated Names
The sculpture shows a woman holding a child in her arms. The woman is standing, with her head slightly inclined towards the child, who is cradled in her arms. It is crafted from a material that appears to be bronze or a bronze-like metal, giving it a dark brownish color with a slight metallic sheen. The woman's robe and the child's body are detailed with draped folds. The sculpture is of a moderate size and proportions, suggesting it could be a relief sculpture meant to be viewed from the front. There are two visible holes in the sculpture. The sculpture conveys a sense of grace and tenderness through its detailed rendering and the gentle, protective posture of the woman.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Medium brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 12.8 x 6.1 cm (5 1/16 x 2 3/8 in.) gross weight: 132 gr

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.399


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. vol.II, 275.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 82.

2003

  • Gregori, Mina, ed. In the Light of Apollo: Italian Renaissance and Greece. 2 vols. Exh. cat. National Gallery and Alexandros Souzos Museum, Athens, 2003-2004: 1:362.

2011

  • Rossi, Francesco. La collezione Mario Scaglia: placchette. 3 vols. Bergamo, 2011: 1:98, under Prototipo, M.6, as by Francesco Marti.

Wikidata ID

Q63814815

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