Madonna and Child
Pietro Lombardo (or Pietro di Martino da Carona) Italian
This relief was intended as a devotional image for a private chapel, shrine, or well-to-do home. Mary protectively embraces the Christ Child whose slumber symbolically foreshadows his death, as does the leafy fruit in his hand that resembles the apple held by Adam nearby. The sharp contours of the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ are defined by undercutting, and crisp folds of drapery envelop mother and son, their intimacy emphasized by the delicate linearity with which they are carved. The band of stylized vegetation below is inspired by ancient decorative motfis.
[Peter J. Bell, 2015]
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.