Virgin and Child

The Artist: For a biography of Hans Memling, see the Catalogue Entry for The Annunciation (17.190.7).

The Painting: The close-up view of the Virgin’s maternal tenderness as she nurses the Christ Child lends to this small roundel an extraordinary intimacy. As with many contemporary Netherlandish paintings of the Virgin and Child, Mary’s expression conveys a slight sadness, suggesting that she is prescient about the sacrifice her infant son will eventually make for humankind at his Crucifixion. The Christ Child stares off to his right, momentarily distracted, as if by the presence of the viewer, from suckling at his mother’s breast. Enhancing this sense of naturalism is the bucolic landscape that extends far into the distance.

Remnants of golden rays surround the heads of the Virgin and Child, denoting their holiness. The pearl-and-gem-studded border of Mary’s blue robe, as well as her luxurious red mantle, underscore her regal stature as Queen of Heaven. The prototype for this composition is found in Byzantine icons, specifically the Panhagia galaktotrophousa,[1] or in Latin the Virgo lactans (nursing Virgin). The latter was made popular by the Master of Flémalle in his Virgin and Child (Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt; see fig. 1 above), and there may have been a now-lost roundel by him, which was copied in later variants, such as one in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (fig. 2). There remain more than thirty-five examples of this beloved theme dating to the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, some with the Virgin and Child facing right and others in reverse position (see Bialostocki 1966 and Mund et al. 2003).[2] Many of these show a gold or solid-colored background, setting The Met’s painting apart by its more modern, naturalistic treatment of a mother and child before a familiar-looking landscape setting. These visual strategies on the part of the painter were intended to enhance the empathy of the viewer with the holy figures, thus enriching the devotional experience.

The circular shape of the painting alludes to contemporary mirrors, and the “divine mirror” by which the devotee contemplated Christ or the Virgin instead of his or her own image.[3] An additional connection of the Virgin and Child with mirror roundels is the allusion to Mary’s virginity; she is the speculum sine macula (mirror without blemish) from the Book of Wisdom (7:26) (see Mund et al. 2003, p. 49). Small roundels like this one may have been hung over beds as a reminder of daily devotions (see Joos van Cleve's Annunciation for a mirror over the bed; 32.100.60) or as a portable religious image for travel.

The Attribution and Date: Since Max J. Friedländer (1916) first assigned the Virgin and Child roundel to Hans Memling there have been no challenges to the attribution. Varying opinions have been expressed, however, about the proposed date of the painting. Friedländer (1916), followed by Dirk De Vos (1994), dated it early, about 1465, associating it with the works that Memling made soon after his arrival in Bruges. Barbara Lane (1980 and 2009) instead dated it late in the artist’s career, about 1480–90.

A stylistic comparison of the sweet facial types of the Virgin and Child with those in The Met’s Virgin and Child with Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Barbara (14.40.634) of about 1480 suggests a date between 1475 and 1480. Also corroborating this date is a comparison with Hans Memling’s Portrait of a Man of 1472–75 (The Met, 1975.1.112). There one finds a very similar idyllic landscape background of the type that was so popular with Italian collectors and painters.[4]

The underdrawing in the Virgin and Child roundel is in a dry material (see Technical Notes and fig. 3). It is a free-hand sketch with some limited parallel hatching in the Virgin’s white veil. There are no signs of a cartoon or pattern transfer, indicating that this painting may have been among the first in a series produced by Memling and his workshop. The underdrawing is typical of that found in the works of Memling’s maturity, such as the aforementioned Virgin and Child with Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Barbara. This discounts an early date when Memling, like his mentor Rogier van der Weyden, employed brush and black pigment for his underdrawings (see, for example, The Annunciation; 17.190.7). Furthermore, The Met's roundel can be placed before the late Virgin and Child that Memling produced around 1485–94 (private collection, California; see Borchert 2012 and 2014 and fig. 4). In the latter, the contours are harder and sharper, and the modeling of the flesh denser and more opaque than the very thin paint layers superimposed by modeling glazes of The Met’s painting.

Maryan W. Ainsworth 2019

[1] Helen Evans, ed., Byzantium Faith and Power (1261–1557), exh. cat. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2004, pp. 356–57, no. 215, and p. 572, fig. 341.1.
[2] See also Elisa Bermejo, La pintura de los Primitivos flamencos en España, Madrid, 1980, pp. 87–88; Micheline Comblen-Sonkes (with the collaboration of N. Veronee-Verhaegen), Le Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon: Les Primitifs flamands, I. Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méridionaux au quinzième siècle, Brussels, 1986, pp. 87–88.
[3] Hans Belting, Bild und Kult: Eine Geschichte des Bildes vor dem Zeitalter der Kunst, Munich, 1990, p. 471; Hans Belting and Christine Kruse, Die Erfindung der niederländischen Malerei, Munich, 1994, p. 79.
[4] For the influence of such landscapes on Italian art, see Charlotte Wytema’s online entry for Hans Memling’s Portrait of a Man (1975.1.112).

Support: The support is a single plank of wood, apparently oak, with the grain oriented horizontally. The panel, which now measures 5mm thick, has been cradled. Dendrochronological analysis could not be carried out because the cradle system prevents sufficient access to the original panel. The panel retains its integral frame.

Preparation: The panel was prepared with a white ground. Examination with infrared reflectography revealed the presence of an underdrawing, executed with what appears to be a dry medium (see fig. 3 above).[1] The complex pose, including convincing foreshortening of the Child’s right arm, was set out with sketchy but sure strokes by a practiced hand. The underdrawing is comprehensive, including the major contours of both figures and the drapery, as well as a few instances of hatching. The underdrawn contours were largely followed in the painting, with only slight corrections and refinements.

Paint Layers: This seemingly simple composition is a quiet yet profound display of Memling’s artistry. He modeled the figures with delicate applications of glazes and highlights, using softly directional lighting to add subtle drama to the outdoor scene. Memling set off the contours of the Child using very fine, black paint strokes at the chin and then continuing down his chest and along his right forearm. These black strokes are more easily distinguished in the infrared reflectogram. The accuracy with which tiny details were rendered only becomes evident upon close inspection, such as the golden cuff beneath the Virgin’s fur sleeve or the loosened ties of her bodice underneath the Child’s grasping hand.

One minor change was made during the painting stage: a mountain peak initially located directly to the left of the Virgin was painted out. The painting has withstood some abrasion, particularly in the fleshtones and the sky, but the fineness of the technique is generally preserved and easily perceptible.

Gilding: The Virgin and Child were originally set off by golden rays, now mostly abraded, which appear to be shell gold. There are a few very faint incisions for the gilded rays.

Sophie Scully 2019

[1] Infrared reflectography completed with an OSIRIS InGaAs near-infrared camera with a 6-element, 150mm focal length f/5.6–f/45 lens; 900-1700nm spectral response, September 2017.

John Rushout, 2nd Lord Northwick, Northwick Park, Blockley, Worcestershire (until 1838; sale, Christie's, London, May 26, 1838, no. 117, as by Van Eyck; for £3.15 to Greenland); William Hart Dyke, later 7th Baronet, Lullingstone Castle, Dartford, Kent (in 1865); Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 3rd Baronet, London (probably until 1912); [Percy Moore Turner, Paris, until 1912; sold to Kleinberger]; [Kleinberger, Paris and New York, 1912–15; sold for $25,000 to Dreicer]; Michael Dreicer, New York (1915–16; sold to Kleinberger); [Kleinberger, New York, 1916; sold for $23,400 to Friedsam]; Michael Friedsam, New York (1916–d. 1931)

New York. F. Kleinberger Galleries. "Flemish Primitives," 1929, no. 24 (lent by Col. Michael Friedsam).

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Michael Friedsam Collection," November 15, 1932–April 9, 1933, no catalogue.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "From Van Eyck to Bruegel: Early Netherlandish Painting in The Metropolitan Museum of Art," September 22, 1998–February 21, 1999, no. 55.

Philadelphia Museum of Art. "Hans Memling’s 'Virgin Nursing the Christ Child' and the Early Netherlandish Tondo," December 19, 2009–March 17, 2010, no catalogue.

W. H. James Weale and Maurice W. Brockwell. The Van Eycks and their Art. London, 1912, p. 255.

"Mr. Friedsam's Memling." American Art News 14, no. 25 (March 25, 1916), p. 1, ill., relates that Friedländer, after close examination of the painting "declared it to be by Memling and of the date 1465"; calls it "presumably a pendant" to the Blessing Christ in the Kaufmann Collection, Berlin [now MMA 32.100.54].

Guy Pène du Bois. "Famous American Collections: The Collection of Mr. Michael Friedsam." Arts and Decoration 7 (June 1917), p. 399, ill. pp. 397 and 400 (installation view of "Flemish Wall" in Friedsam's home).

Max J. Friedländer. Die altniederländische Malerei. Vol. 2, Rogier van der Weyden und der Meister von Flémalle. Berlin, 1924, p. 113, no. 70a.

Edouard Michel in Early Flemish Paintings in the Renders Collection at Bruges. London, 1927, p. 53, erroneously identifies our tondo with one formerly in the Cardon Collection; observes that tondos with "Madonna lactans" deriving from the Flémallesque prototype in Frankfurt are very wide-spread, and considers our version one of the two best replicas, the other being in the Johnson Collection, Philadelphia [now Johnson Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art].

Max J. Friedländer. Die altniederländische Malerei. Vol. 6, Memling und Gerard David. Berlin, 1928, pp. 27, 126, no. 52, attributes it to Memling and notes that it belongs to a type of tondo picture produced by the followers of the Master of Flémalle and Rogier van der Weyden.

Max J. Friedländer in The Michael Friedsam Collection. [completed 1928], p. 134, catalogues the painting as a Memling of the middle period, inspired by a prototype by the Master of Flémalle; mentions other versions of the composition in the Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp, and the Traumann Collection, Madrid [now in a private collection; see Ref. De Vos 1994, Hans Memling: The Complete Works, no. 82].

[Hippolyte] Fierens-Gevaert. Histoire de la peinture flamande des origines à la fin du XVe siècle. Vol. 2, Les continuateurs des Van Eyck. Paris, 1928, p. 21, believes it is based on a lost original by the "maître de Mérode".

E. M. Sperling. Catalogue of a Loan Exhibition of Flemish Primitives. Exh. cat., F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc., New York. New York, 1929, p. 82–83, no. 24, ill., as Memling.

Bryson Burroughs and Harry B. Wehle. "The Michael Friedsam Collection: Paintings." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 27, section 2 (November 1932), p. 20.

Harry B. Wehle and Margaretta Salinger. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: A Catalogue of Early Flemish, Dutch and German Paintings. New York, 1947, pp. 61–62, ill., as Memling; note that "Memling renders the Virgin and Child in a style reminiscent of Rogier van der Weyden, but as usual he reveals a milder spirit".

Julius S. Held. "Book Reviews: Harry B. Wehle and Margaretta M. Salinger . . ., 1947." Art Bulletin 31 (June 1949), p. 140, observes that the obvious abrasion of the painting's surface was not mentioned in the catalogue.

Julius S. Held. "A Tondo by Cornelis Engebrechtsz." Oud-Holland 67, no. 1 (1952), pp. 234, 236, points out that hanging small devotional tondos at the head end of beds seems to have been a standard practice during the 15th and 16th centuries; notes that such tondos are shown in paintings representing interiors and cites our "Annunciation" by Hans Memling [MMA 1975.1.113] and the "Anunciation" by Joos van Cleve [MMA 32.100.60] among other examples.

Josephine L. Allen and Elizabeth E. Gardner. A Concise Catalogue of the European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1954, p. 66.

Georges Marlier. Ambrosius Benson et la peinture à Bruges au temps de Charles-Quint. Damme, Belgium, 1957, p. 110, notes that the Flémallesque composition of the bust-length Suckling Virgin was used in a tondo format by imitators of Rogier van der Weyden, Memling and Gerard David, and in rectangular format, during the first half of the 16th century, by Ambrosius Benson, Joos van Cleve and Adriaan Isenbrant.

Jan Bialostocki. Les Musées de Pologne: (Gdansk, Krakow, Warszawa) [Les primitifs flamands, I: Corpus de la peinture des anciens pays-bas méridionaux au quinzième siècle, vol. 9]. Brussels, 1966, pp. 38–39, lists it among the extant versions of the "Virgo lactans" in tondo format; believes their iconography derives from the monumental Mother and Child by the Master of Fémalle (Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt).

Max J. Friedländer et al. Early Netherlandish Painting. Vol. 2, Rogier van der Weyden and the Master of Flémalle. New York, 1967, p. 73, no. 70a, pl. 98, as a copy after a lost prototype by the Master of Flémalle; notes that it agrees with the Madonna in the Flémalle altarpiece, although it differs in the position of one of the child's hands, which rests on the bare breast of the Virgin.

Giorgio T. Faggin. L'opera completa di Memling. Milan, 1969, p. 108, no. 71, ill., as an autograph Memling.

Max J. Friedländer et al. Early Netherlandish Painting. Vol. 6, Hans Memlinc and Gerard David. New York, 1971, part 1, pp. 19, 52, no. 52, pl. 99.

John G. Johnson Collection: Catalogue of Flemish and Dutch Paintings. Philadelphia, 1972, pp. 21–22.

Elga Lanc. "Die religiösen Bilder des Joos van Cleve." PhD diss., Universität Wien, 1972, p. 44 n. 4, p. 46 n. 2, fig. 44.

Barbara G. Lane. Hans Memling: Werkverzeichnis. Frankfurt, 1980, pp. 48–49, no. 64, ill., dates it to about 1480–90.

Cécile Scailliérez. Joos van Cleve au Louvre. Paris, 1991, pp. 24–25, ill., as Memling; compares it to the Virgin and Child in Joos van Cleve's "Vision of St. Bernard" (Louvre, Paris).

Introduction by Walter A. Liedtke in Flemish Paintings in America: A Survey of Early Netherlandish and Flemish Paintings in the Public Collections of North America. Antwerp, 1992, p. 24, ill. (installation view of Friedsam's residence in 1915).

Dirk De Vos. Hans Memling: The Complete Works. Ghent, 1994, pp. 80–81, no. 3, ill. (color), as Memling; dates it about 1465–70, acknowledging that it is difficult to place stylistically; notes that the number of extant tondos of roughly the same type and format suggests the use of cartoons or tracing that go back to a type originated by the Master of Flémalle.

Dirk De Vos. Hans Memling: Catalogue. Exh. cat., Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Ghent, 1994, pp. 16, 136.

Katharine Baetjer. European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Artists Born Before 1865: A Summary Catalogue. New York, 1995, p. 251, ill.

Mary Sprinson de Jesús in From Van Eyck to Bruegel: Early Netherlandish Painting in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ed. Maryan W. Ainsworth and Keith Christiansen. Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1998, pp. 69, 74, 210, 224, 226, 236–38, no. 55, ill. (color), ascribes it to Memling and dates it about 1475–80, noting that the type of the Virgin and Child seems more characteristic for the mature Memling; observes that the landscape background is unique among the extant Virgin and Child roundels and compares it to the setting of the "Salvator Mundi" tondo from Memling's workshop [MMA 32.100.54]; suggests a dual purpose for the tondos: they may have served as a blessing for a marriage and also to encourage the virtuous conduct of its partners.

Maryan W. Ainsworth. "Commentary: An Integrated Approach." Early Netherlandish Painting at the Crossroads: A Critical Look at Current Methodologies. Ed. Maryan W. Ainsworth. New York, 2001, p. 110.

Hélène Mund et al. The Mayer van den Bergh Museum, Antwerp. Brussels, 2003, pp. 50–53, 55 n. 10, ill., note that our picture and two related tondi (Mayer van den Bergh Museum and private collection) are identical in dimensions and structure; see them as evidence of serial production in Memling's workshop, presumably based on preparatory cartoons with small differences in detail; calls the Mayer van den Bergh replica "a characteristic work of Hans Memling's entourage, produced in Bruges in the last quarter of the 15th century".

Didier Martens. "Une oeuvre méconnue du Maître aux Madones Joufflues." Cahiers du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, années 2002–6, (2008), p. 34, fig. 8.

Barbara G. Lane. Hans Memling: Master Painter in Fifteenth-Century Bruges. London, 2009, p. 111 n. 20, pp. 273, 295, 331, no. 49, fig. 238.

Lloyd DeWitt. Hans Memling’s "Virgin Nursing the Christ Child" and the Early Netherlandish Tondo. Exh. brochure, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia, [2009], unpaginated, fig. 1 (color).

Alice Taatgen in Joos van Cleve, Leonardo des Nordens. Ed. Peter van den Brink et al. Exh. cat., Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen. Stuttgart, 2011, p. 166, under no. 16.

Till-Holger Borchert in Old Master Paintings, Part I. Christie's, New York . January 25, 2012, pp. 73–74, fig. 1 (color), under no. 23.

Till-Holger Borchert in Memling: Rinascimento fiammingo. Ed. Till-Holger Borchert. Exh. cat., Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome. Milan, 2014, p. 140, under no. 18.

Old Master & British Paintings. Christie's, London. December 8, 2015, pp. 48, 50, 52–53, fig. 1 (color), under no. 11.

Susan Urbach. Early Netherlandish Paintings. London, 2015, vol. 1, p. 98 n. 3, under no. 7.

This frame and panel are from Bruges and date to about 1475–80 (see figs. 5–7 above). The integral tondo frame and panel are made of oak and are lathe-turned from a single piece of wood with horizontal grain. A chamfer at the sight edge divides the ogee molding from the painted surface. The top edge forms a flat fillet. Originally painted black with mordant gilding, it has had at least two subsequent re-gildings with fictive worm holes added for effect. A round panel, perhaps with a mirror, framed in a reverse profile may have fitted against the top to protect this personal devotional painting. See the small tondo Salvator Mundi attributed to the Workshop of Hans Memling (32.100.54), also in The Met’s collection.

Timothy Newbery with Cynthia Moyer 2017; further information on this frame can be found in the Department of European Paintings files