Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Madonna and Child
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.
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.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1915, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1980 | Salute to Belgium. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
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 |
Geographies
Belgium, Tournai (Place of Origin)
Measurements
1 5/16 x 10 11/16 in. (3.3 x 27.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1915
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: 15th-Century Art of Northern Europe
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.
37.297