Who painted The Virgin and Child with a Bird?

The Virgin and Child with a Bird was painted by Simone Cantarini in 1639.

Where can I see The Virgin and Child with a Bird?

The Virgin and Child with a Bird is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Virgin and Child with a Bird?

The Virgin and Child with a Bird is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of The Virgin and Child with a Bird?

Museum-quality prints of The Virgin and Child with a Bird are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Virgin and Child with a Bird

Simone Cantarini , 1639

The Virgin and Child with a Bird is an ink print by the Baroque artist Simone Cantarini. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Simone Cantarini’s 1639 print, *The Virgin and Child with a Bird*, is an etching executed on laid paper. The composition presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus, while a small bird rests on a nearby branch, all rendered in the delicate line work characteristic of early‑Baroque printmaking.

Subject & Meaning

The image combines a traditional devotional motif—the Madonna and Child—with a bird that may allude to the soul or the Holy Spirit, reinforcing the work’s religious intent. The tender interaction between mother and child, highlighted by the gentle touch of the Virgin’s fingers, conveys intimacy and reverence.

Technique & Style

Cantarini achieved depth through varied hatching and cross‑hatching, allowing the figures to emerge from a textured backdrop of trees or rocks. The etching process—drawing with a needle on a copper plate, then inking and pressing onto laid paper—produces fine lines and subtle tonal gradations typical of 17th‑century Italian prints.

History & Provenance

Born in 1612, Cantarini worked primarily in Pesaro and Bologna, merging Bolognese classicism with a naturalistic approach. This print, created toward the end of his early career, reflects his dual identity as painter and etcher and was likely circulated among devotional collectors in the mid‑1600s.

Context

During the Baroque period, prints served both as religious aids and as means of disseminating artistic ideas. Cantarini’s work aligns with contemporary trends that favored emotive religious subjects rendered with a heightened sense of realism, bridging the gap between academic classicism and everyday observation.