Artwork
Virgin and Child with Saints
Virgin and Child with Saints is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Berlinghiero Berlinghieri. It dates from 1234 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is a compact, three‑panel altarpiece designed for private devotion, capable of being folded for transport.
About this work
Overview
The work is a compact, three‑panel altarpiece designed for private devotion, capable of being folded for transport. Its central panel presents the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ, while the side panels display a group of saints against gold backgrounds.
Subject & Meaning
Flanking the central figures are Saint Andrew, depicted with a cross, Saint Francis and Saint Paul on the left, and on the right, Christ accompanied by the instruments of his Passion, together with Saints Stephen and Lawrence. The arrangement reflects a devotional program linking the Virgin and Child with a selection of martyr and apostolic saints.
Technique & Style
The figures are rendered with elongated, flowing lines that outline garments and hands, a hallmark of the Byzantine aesthetic that reached Italy from Constantinople. The flat, decorative treatment and lack of spatial depth emphasize spiritual presence over naturalistic representation.
History & Provenance
Created by Berlinghiero, one of the earliest Italian painters whose name is documented, the altarpiece originates from Lucca, the leading artistic hub of Tuscany before Siena and Florence rose to prominence. Berlinghiero directed a sizable workshop that included his sons, suggesting the piece may have involved multiple hands.
Context
In the early thirteenth century, Lucca’s artistic community was heavily influenced by Byzantine visual conventions, which were adapted for local devotional objects. Small, portable altarpieces such as this were common in private chapels and affluent households, serving as focal points for personal prayer.
Artist & collection
Artist
Berlinghiero, also known as Berlinghiero Berlinghieri or Berlinghiero of Lucca (fl.
Virgin and Child with Saints
Madonna and Child with Saints
Virgin and Child with Saints
The Crucifixion of St. Andrew, with St. Francis and St. Paul below
Christ in a Mandorla, with the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below
Christ in a Mandorla, with the instruments of the Passion, with St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below
The Crucifixion of St. Andrew, with St. Francis and St. Paul below
Virgin and Child
The Virgin and Child, Saint John the Baptist and Prophets
Icon of the Mother of God and Infant Christ (Virgin Eleousa)
Maica Domnului, tipul Eleusa(dulcea sărutare, Mângâietoarea) îl ține strâns în brațe pe Iisus prunc, în picioare, cu obrazul lipit de cel al Maicii și o mână petrecută pe după gâtul ei. Iisus are nimbul cruciger, marcat cu motive florale punctate, Este înveșmântat într-o tunică 3/4 alb-gălbuie, care lasă să i se vadă picioarele. Maica poartă un maforion alb, bordat cu galben, partea din stânga a veșmântului din foiță metalică, decorată cu motive florale pictate cu roșu și galben, motive fitomorfe și geometrice incizate. În partea dreaptă veșmântul este roșu, decorat cu motive florale de culoare galbenă, foița fiind prezentă doar la mânecă. Nimbul decorat cu motive florale punctate în stratul de foiță metalică, Figurile modelate din culoare (alb, ocru) cu accente grafice fine, albe, sunt specifice icoanei rusești. Cromatica: alb, galben, roșu, auriu, brun, negru, foiță metalică, chenar roșu deschis, mărginit de două linii în nuanțe de roșu deschis și brun.Chenarul interior dublat de două șiruri de cercuri ștanțate în foiță. Inscripția dispusă pe o bandă dreptunghiulară în partea de jops a icoanei : Icoana Preacuratei Fecioare Prevăzând Jertfa (lui Iisus).
Virgin and Child
Madonna and Child Enthroned
Icon of the Mother of God and Infant Christ (Virgin Eleousa)
Vladimirin Jumalanäiti, venäläinen ikoni