Madonna and Child,
tempera on panel, 82.5 x 57 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private European collection

The present composition with the Madonna in half-length standing behind a ledge, supporting the standing Christ Child shown in a gesture of blessing, adopts Andrea del Verrocchio’s celebrated composition of this subject, of which many sculpted and painted versions were made by his pupils, collaborators and followers. The Madonna and Child are placed in front of a river landscape, with towns visible on the left and right. In the centre right background, the artist shows the encounter between Christ and John the Baptist taken from the apocrypha which describe Christ’s childhood in various legends.

As with similar Verrochioesque compositions, the figures are arranged frontally, thereby maintaining the design’s monumentality without having to sacrifice any of its sentiment. It is the slightly inclined head of the Madonna, her gaze full of dignity and elegance, together with the soft touch of her hands over a transparent loincloth, which emphasise the tenderness of the scene. Furthermore, it is this frontality of the figures that enhances their sculptural qualities or rilievo; yet another telling stylistic reference to the composition’s origins.