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Madonna Adoring the Child
(18th and 19th Centuries )
The Madonna, seated amid clouds, clasps her hands as she adores the Infant Christ. Her feet rest on a four-winged cherubim's head.
The composition is based on the popular devotional image, the miraculous Madonna della Ghiara. A drawing, dated 1565, based upon an earlier image of the Madonna, and a painting by Lelio Orsi are in the Tempio della Madonna della Ghiara in Reggio Emilia. The earlier image was repainted in 1593 according to Orsi's composition, to which the ivory carver has added a cherubim.
This piece belongs to a group of provincial, late Baroque ivories that may have been intended to be applied to the bases of crucifixes.
The Walters ivory was previously exhibitied as Saint Clara in Ecstasy.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
William T. / Henry Walters Collection, Baltimore, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1982 | God's Minstrel: St. Francis of Assisi. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 10/24/1958 | Treatment | cleaned; coated |
Geographies
Italy, Reggio Emilia (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 1/2 x W: 1 11/16 in. (6.3 x 4.3 cm); H with frame: 3 7/8 x W: 3 3/8 in. (9.9 x 8.6 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by William T. or Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
71.372