Madonna and Child

The Madonna holds the Christ Child, who raises two fingers in a gesture of blessing. Their tender bond expressed through the sweetness and gracefulness of the figures reveals Nuvolone's study of the famous Madonnas painted by Raphael (1483-1520) (see Walters 37.484). The slightly elongated proportions add elegance to the figural style. By the use of sfumato (the almost imperceptible blending of light and shade), the figures emerge softly and luminously from the dark background. Although the artist was active in the 17th century, the lightness of his manner would have made him eminently attractive to 18th-century patrons.

For more information on this painting, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 378, p. 496.

Inscription

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Cardinal (?) [label on reverse reads "la possession de Cardinal..."; Prince Napoléon, 1868 (?) [label on reverse reads: appartient au Prince Napoléon Palais Royal 1868]; Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 185, as Guercino]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.