Artwork
Madonna and sleeping child
Madonna and sleeping child is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna. It dates from 1457 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Created circa 1465‑1470, this small tempera on canvas measures roughly 43 by 32 centimeters.
About this work
This small tempera painting shows Mary holding a sleeping child. It’s a quiet moment, Mary’s face calm and gentle. The child looks peaceful in her arms.
Painted around 1465 to 1470, it’s one of many Madonnas Mantegna made. Most were small, meant for private devotion. This one is about 43 by 32 centimeters.
Look up the technique used here next: tempera.
Overview
Created circa 1465‑1470, this small tempera on canvas measures roughly 43 by 32 centimeters. Andrea Mantegna painted the work for personal devotional use, and it now belongs to the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the Virgin Mary cradling a sleeping infant Jesus. Both figures are rendered without the customary halos, emphasizing an intimate, tender interaction rather than formal sanctity. Their faces touch gently, a motif that recalls Donatello’s sculptural treatment of the same theme.
Technique & Style
Executed in glue‑tempera, the painting displays Mantegna’s precise linear drawing and careful modeling of flesh. The figures are enveloped in a richly patterned brocade mantle that contrasts with a deep black background, heightening the sense of quiet enclosure.
History & Provenance
After its creation for private worship, the panel entered various collections before being acquired by the Berlin Gemäldegalerie, where it remains on display. Its modest size and devotional purpose align with the series of small Madonnas produced by Mantegna in the mid‑15th century.
Context
Mantegna’s treatment reflects the influence of contemporary sculptors, particularly Donatello, whose approach to maternal intimacy informed the painter’s composition. The work belongs to a broader trend in Renaissance art that favored personal, contemplative images for private chapels and homes.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Andrea Mantegna (UK: , US: ; Italian: ; c. 1431 – September 13, 1506) was an Italian Renaissance painter, a student of Roman archaeology, and the son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna…
