16th century
Netherlands
Paint on oak panel
17″ high x 12″ wide

This tender Madonna and child was most likely a devotional picture intended for a domestic interior. It was painted on an oak panel and appears to still be in its original frame.

The painting is unusual for its portrait like qualities. Indeed, the expressive faces of the young Madonna and the infant child are highly individual, their gazes riveting for their intimacy. The pigments are vivid the rich red color of the cloth draped on Mary’s lap plays brightly against the greens and blues seen in her gown and in the landscape. One can detect the artist’s underdrawing beneath the paint glazes, a quite beautiful effect. On a hillside in the background, there is a very small figure a knight or courtier on bended knee with his hand held over his heart.

Additional detailed images and infrared images of the underdrawing provided upon request.

The frame retains remnants of its original iron hinges. Dimensions in the frame are 22 1/4″ high x 17 3/4″ wide x 2 1/8″ deep.