Artwork

Virgin and Child with Two Angels in a Landscape

Virgin and Child with Two Angels in a Landscape, by Adriaen Isenbrandt, oil, 1550
Virgin and Child with Two Angels in a Landscape, by Adriaen Isenbrandt, oil, 1550

Virgin and Child with Two Angels in a Landscape is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Adriaen Isenbrandt. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Walters Art Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1550, this oil painting presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus, flanked by two angels within a gently rolling landscape. The composition centers the holy figures against a backdrop of trees and distant architecture, establishing a tranquil devotional scene typical of mid‑sixteenth‑century Flemish art.

Subject & Meaning

The work illustrates a conventional religious motif: the Madonna and Child accompanied by celestial attendants. The angels, one bearing a flower and the other a harp, underscore themes of purity and divine harmony, inviting contemplation of the sacred bond between mother and son.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on panel, the painting employs a subdued palette of browns and greens that lend atmospheric depth. Soft modeling of forms and careful attention to light create a sense of three‑dimensional space, while the restrained coloration reflects the conservative aesthetic of Isenbrandt’s workshop.

History & Provenance

Attributed to Adriaen Isenbrandt, a Bruges‑based painter active during the shift from Early Netherlandish to Northern Renaissance styles, the piece likely emerged from his prolific workshop that catered to devotional commissions. It entered the Walters Art Museum collection, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Flemish holdings.

Artist & collection

Artist

Adriaen Isenbrandt

Adriaen Isenbrandt or Adriaen Ysenbrandt (between 1480 and 1490 – July 1551) was a painter in Bruges, in the final years of Early Netherlandish painting, and the first of the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting of the Northern…

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Walters Art Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.