The ''Madonna and Child with an Angel'' is a painting executed c. 1465–1467 by the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

painter

Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...

. It is housed in

Spedale degli Innocenti The (; 'Hospital of the Innocents'), also known in old Tuscan dialect as the , is a historic building in Florence, Italy. It was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who received the commission in 1419 from the Arte della Seta. It was originally ...

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. A majority of Botticelli's works date to the 1480s. This painting, one of Botticelli's earliest, reveals Botticelli's close artistic relationship with his teacher,

Filippo Lippi Filippo Lippi ( – 8 October 1469), also known as Lippo Lippi, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Quattrocento (fifteenth century) and a Carmelite priest. He was an early Renaissance master of a painting workshop, who taught many paint ...

, and is modelled on the latter's '' The Virgin and Child with Two Angels''. With the realistic depiction of his live infant models, Botticelli's Madonna may be the earliest known depiction of the

neurological Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the s ...

Babinski reflex. Botticelli is also known for his contributions to the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...

Description

This depiction of Madonna and Child poses both

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

and the Infant

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

in the center of the image, framing the gaze between Mary and her son with a blue background. The position of Mary and Child is also framed by a church-like arch supported by

Composite order The Composite order is a mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic order capital with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order.Henig, Martin (ed.), ''A Handbook of Roman Art'', p. 50, Phaidon, 1983, In many versions the composite o ...

pillars. The

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

is in dressed in red covered by a black cloak which has gold accents and trim. The

Child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

wears only a white cloth. The babe is being handed to its mother by an

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

, in the figure of a young boy, wearing white and red, whose wings are barely in scene. As the Mother and Child gaze at each other, the angel gazes directly toward the observer. All three figures are drawn with a

halo HALO, halo, halos or haloes may refer to: Most common meanings * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head * ''Halo'' (franchise), a sci-fi video game series (2001–2021) Arts and en ...

; the Christ-Child's is a

cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

halo, which is a traditional way of distinguishing Jesus. Botticelli showcases a non-historic image of the Madonna and Child, instead drawing his inspiration from the Renaissance ideals of beauty. There are parallels in Botticelli's work in which he continuously depicts Mary and Jesus with blonde, wavy hair and fair skin so as to elevate the image of both figures in creating a sort of devotional perfection. Other examples of this include,

Madonna and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

Madonna of the Magnificat The ''Madonna of the Magnificat'' (), is a painting of circular or '' tondo'' form by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli. It is also referred to as the ''Virgin and Child with Five Angels.'' In the ''tondo'', we see the Virgin Mar ...

, and Sant'Ambrogio Altarpiece (Botticelli).

References

1460s paintings Paintings of the Madonna and Child by Sandro Botticelli Angels in art {{15C-painting-stub

Description

See also

References