Madonna
Gari Melchers American
Along with George Hitchcock, Melchers settled in Egmond, Holland, on the coast of the North Sea. There they joined a colony of artists painting scenes of local life, often using humble settings for scenes of contemporary piety. In this work, Christian iconography is interpreted using a composition that follows traditional mother-and-child religious paintings, yet the subject is put in a secular, modern context. The decorative style that emphasizes patterns, bright colors and paint surfaces reflects the artist's exposure to Post-Impressionism.