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Madonna and Child

Berlinghiero Italian
possibly 1230s
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 601

Featuring solemn, highly stylized beauty, this is one of only two works that can be confidently attributed to Berlinghiero, the leading painter in the Tuscan city of Lucca. It follows the Byzantine type known as the Virgin Hodegetria (She Who Shows the Way), that the artist would have known from icons that arrived in Italy following the fall of Constantinople in 1204. Christ’s mother points to her son as the way to salvation; dressed like an ancient philosopher, the child holds a scroll. As one scholar has noted: "Berlinghiero’s work operates with nuances . . . the language of gestures, with their gentle flow and their subtle meaning on both human and theological levels."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Madonna and Child
  • Artist: Berlinghiero (Italian, Lucca, active by 1228–died by 1236)
  • Date: possibly 1230s
  • Medium: Tempera on wood, gold ground
  • Dimensions: Overall 31 5/8 x 21 1/8 in. (80.3 x 53.7 cm); painted surface 30 x 19 1/2 in. (76.2 x 49.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Irma N. Straus, 1960
  • Object Number: 60.173
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
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The Adoration of the Magi, Giotto di Bondone Italian, Tempera on wood, gold ground
The Adoration of the Magi
Giotto di Bondone
possibly ca. 1320
Madonna and Child, Duccio di Buoninsegna Italian, Tempera and gold on wood
Madonna and Child
Duccio di Buoninsegna
ca. 1290–1300
Saint Anthony of Padua, Maso di Banco Italian, Tempera on wood, gold ground
Saint Anthony of Padua
Maso di Banco
ca. 1340
Madonna and Child with Donors, Giovanni da Milano Italian, Tempera on wood, gold ground
Madonna and Child with Donors
Giovanni da Milano
ca. 1365
The Crucifixion, Pietro Lorenzetti Italian, Tempera and gold leaf on wood
The Crucifixion
Pietro Lorenzetti
1340s

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