Artwork
Virgin and Child, with Saints Apollonia and Sebastian
Virgin and Child, with Saints Apollonia and Sebastian is a tempera painting by Davide Ghirlandaio. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Davide Ghirlandaio’s tempera panel, dated 1496, presents the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ, accompanied by Saints Apollonia and Sebastian. The composition is framed by an arched window that opens onto a distant landscape, creating a modest interior setting for the devotional group.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures—Mary and the Child—embody the traditional Virgin and Child motif, while the flanking saints serve as intercessors. Saint Apollonia, identified by her book, and the armored Saint Sebastian, both invoke their respective patronages, linking the sacred narrative to contemporary devotional practices.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera, the work displays the crisp linearity and luminous color palette characteristic of late‑15th‑century Florentine painting. Contrasting dark drapery with a vivid red cloak on the Virgin, and the distinct attire of the saints, creates a balanced chromatic harmony that enhances spatial depth.
History & Provenance
Davide Ghirlandaio, trained in the workshop of his elder brother Domenico, produced this panel during a period when he was also active as a mosaicist. The painting entered the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it remains on display.
Context
The panel reflects the artistic environment of Florence at the close of the Quattrocento, where family workshops such as the Ghirlandai played a central role in disseminating the stylistic language inherited from masters like Botticelli and Perugino. The inclusion of specific saints aligns with the period’s emphasis on personalized patronage.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Davide Ghirlandaio (1452–1525), also known as David Ghirlandaio and as Davide Bigordi, was an Italian painter and mosaicist, active in his native Florence.
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