Madonna with the Christ Child Writing

In this masterpiece, the Christ Child, cradled in his mother's left arm, energetically stretches out his right hand to put away his quill pen in the pen case hanging on a delicate strap from Mary's right wrist. Most likely he has just written the names of the saved on the piece of vellum in his left hand. Behind them, angels display a richly woven cloth to honor Mary as Queen of Heaven while others sing.

This painting and its frame (carved from the same piece of wood) are intended to look like a contemporary mirror. The pious Christian would look into this "mirror" and see the Virgin and Christ, ideal reflections of the good Christian life. Indeed, the French phrase inscribed around the outer edge five times, "Je suis bien," perhaps best translated as "I am good [goodness?]," can best be interpreted as the words of Christ or his mother.

The combination of complex iconography, naturalistic details, and delicate execution in this work is characteristic of the International Gothic style that flourished during the early 15th century. The painting derives its round shape from contemporary convex mirrors, and was probably intended to hang at the head of a bed.

Inscription

Provenance

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

Hollingworth Magniac, Colworth, Bedford, by purchase; Charles Magniac, Colworth, 1867, by inheritance; Sale, Christie's, London, July 2, 1892, no. 181; Private collection, Switzerland [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Paul Drey Gallery, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1964, by purchase.