ticketsMember | Make a donation

Virgin and Child

Follower of Hans Memling Netherlandish
Early sixteenth century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 953
The infant Christ, resting in his mother’s arms, delicately raises a blossom in his left hand. Mary, dressed in a gem-edged blue robe with a red mantle, gazes serenely down at her son. The pair, framed by a fictive stone archway, are positioned as if to appear directly behind a carpet-covered ledge. This aperture device was commonly used by fifteenth-century Netherlandish painters like Hans Memling to establish a sense of connection between the viewer and the painted image. The composition of the Lehman picture is an amalgam of motifs found in Virgin and Child paintings by Memling, especially a painting now in Lisbon, and is also related to an engraving of the same subject by the Master FVB. However, despite its reliance on Memling prototypes, the Lehman Virgin and Child was probably created by an early sixteenth-century artist working in the master’s style.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Virgin and Child
  • Artist: Follower of Hans Memling (Netherlandish, Seligenstadt, active by 1465–died 1494 Bruges)
  • Date: Early sixteenth century
  • Culture: Netherlandish
  • Medium: Oil on oak panel
  • Dimensions: 15 1/16 x 11 1/8 in. (38.3 x 28.3 cm); painted surface 12 3/8 x 7 15/16 (31.5 x 20.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.111
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Virgin and Child with Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Barbara, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child with Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Barbara
Hans Memling
early 1480s
Virgin and Child, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child
Hans Memling
1480–85
Virgin and Child, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child
Hans Memling
Virgin and Child, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child
Hans Memling
ca. 1490–94
Salvator Mundi, Hans Memling Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Salvator Mundi
Hans Memling
1480–85

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.