Madonna with child and an angel
Moretto da Brescia, 1540
This small oil on canvas, dated around 1540, is by Moretto da Brescia and shows the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child while an angel attends the scene. It is housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, which acquired it in 1911 after it had belonged to the collection of Gustavo Frizzoni. Given its modest scale and devotional subject, it was most likely meant for private contemplation rather than a large public setting. The reference source dates its execution to around 1540–1550, so the year 1540 should be read as approximate. Moretto, trained in Brescia, is known for sober painting, muted colours and figures of great calm, qualities visible in the quiet treatment of the Virgin and Child. The angel adds a note of companionship and closeness to the scene. Specific compositional and symbolic details should still be checked against the original painting.
- Painter
- Moretto da Brescia
- Date
- 1540
- Medium
- oil paint, canvas
- Dimensions
- 49 × 57 cm
- Museum
- Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan
- Genre
- religious art
- Depicts
- boy, Mary, woman, mother, Christ Child
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