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Virgin and Child

Dieric Bouts Netherlandish
ca. 1455–60
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 605
Bouts based this small, exquisite image on the ancient Byzantine formula for the affectionate Virgin (glykophilousa)—a type popular in the Netherlands. However, he dispensed with the gold background and halo of Byzantine practice and endowed the painting with a human tenderness and simplicity not found in icons. With his subtle and tactile modeling of the flesh, the artist heightened the illusion of living, breathing beings. Focusing on the loving relationship between a mother and her son, his portrayal emphasized human emotions and enhanced the intense inner experience of private devotion.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Virgin and Child
  • Artist: Dieric Bouts (Netherlandish, Haarlem, active by 1457–died 1475)
  • Date: ca. 1455–60
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (21.6 x 16.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915
  • Object Number: 30.95.280
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

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Virgin and Child, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child
Hans Memling
Saint Christopher and the Infant Christ, Dieric Bouts Netherlandish, Oil on oak panel
Saint Christopher and the Infant Christ
Dieric Bouts
After 1485
Portrait of a Man, Dieric Bouts Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Man
Dieric Bouts
ca. 1470
The Mourning Virgin; Christ Crowned with Thorns, Dieric Bouts Netherlandish, Oil on oak
The Mourning Virgin; Christ Crowned with Thorns
Dieric Bouts
A Donor Presented by a Saint, Dieric Bouts Netherlandish, Oil on wood
A Donor Presented by a Saint
Dieric Bouts
ca. 1460–65

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