Madonna and Child

Description The unprecedented realism and sense of solidity conveyed by Robert Campin's figures made the painter (ca. 1375-1444) one of the greatest 15th-century Netherlandish artists. His powerful, full-length depiction of the nursing Madonna and Child (now in Frankfurt, Germany) seems to have been the prototype for small, circular versions, such as this, used for private devotion. The period's emphasis on the human qualities of Christ and on Mary's role as his mother found expression in the new realistic style. The circular format is based on the shape of 15th-century mirrors- here reflecting the ideal of Christian love expressed in the humility and care of a nursing mother. The frame and painted panel are both carved from the same piece of wood.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
12/22/1975	Examination	examined for catalogue
12/22/1975	Examination	examined for condition
9/18/1984	Examination	examined for condition
7/11/1986	Examination	chemical analysis; examined for technical study
3/31/1987	Examination	examined for condition

Exhibitions

• Salute to Belgium. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1980.

Provenance Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1915, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1915