Artwork
Maria mit Kind
Maria mit Kind is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Bartolomeo di Giovanni. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created around the turn of the 16th century, *Maria mit Kind* presents a seated Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ. The figures occupy a modestly proportioned interior framed by an arched opening, while a kneeling figure is positioned to the left. The work is part of the early Renaissance corpus and is currently displayed in the Alte Pinakothek collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the intimate bond between mother and child, emphasizing the theological significance of the Incarnation. Mary's solemn expression and the child's serene gaze convey a reverent stillness, while the kneeling supplicant on the left underscores devotion and prayerful intercession before the holy pair.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on panel, the painting employs a restrained palette, with Mary's blue mantle contrasting against the infant's luminous flesh and a red undergarment. The background is rendered with minimal spatial depth, allowing the sharply modeled faces to dominate the visual field. Subtle chiaroscuro effects suggest volume without fully dissolving the planar setting.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Alte Pinakothek's holdings in the 19th century, where it remains part of the museum's early Renaissance collection.
Bartolomeo di Giovanni, a Florentine artist active in the late 1400s, is now credited with the piece, having previously been catalogued under the provisional name "Alunno di Domenico" by Bernard Berenson. Bartolomeo is also known for contributing the predella to Ghirlandaio's *Adoration of the Magi* (1488). The painting entered the Alte Pinakothek's holdings in the 19th century, where it remains part of the museum's early Renaissance collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomeo di Giovanni di Domenico (1458? – 1501) was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence. His works were first identified by the art historian Bernard Berenson, who did not know the painter's real name so…
