Virgin and Child
This small, tender image of the Virgin holding her son was likely produced for the open market, possibly for export beyond the Low Countries where it was created. Its connection to the circle of painters collectively known as the Female Half-Lengths Group places the work in the context of the Antwerp pand, a market specifically devoted to the sale of art, whose popularity and success encouraged the production of paintings on speculation. Although her position is somewhat ambiguous in this image, the Virgin appears to be seated on the ground, emphasizing her humility as a model worthy of emulation. The scale of this Virgin and Child suggests it functioned as a portable devotional object, providing its owner with a spiritual aid during periods of travel.
Artwork Details
- Title: Virgin and Child
- Artist: Master of the Female Half-Lengths (Netherlandish, active ca. 1525–50)
- Date: ca. 1525–50
- Culture: Netherlandish
- Medium: Oil on wood
- Dimensions: Overall: 4 x 3 1/16 in. (10.2 x 7.8 cm); Painted Surface: 3 1/2 x 2 5/8 in. (8.9 x 6.8 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
- Object Number: 1975.1.123
- Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection
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