Artwork
Madonna and Child in a Landscape
Madonna and Child in a Landscape is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano. It dates from 1498 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Created between 1496 and 1499, this oil painting on wood depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus.
About this work
This is a calm painting of Mary holding the Christ Child. It’s oil on wood from 1496, by Cima da Conegliano. The colors stay soft and quiet.
The artist worked in Venice around the same time as Giovanni Bellini. Both men painted the Madonna many times, but Cima’s way feels especially gentle.
Look up Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano next.
Overview
Created between 1496 and 1499, this oil painting on wood depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus. The work, titled *Madonna and Child in a Landscape*, is part of the collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Its composition presents a serene, intimate moment rendered in a restrained palette.
Subject & Meaning
The image focuses on the tender bond between mother and child, a common devotional theme in late‑15th‑century Italian art. By placing the figures within a softened landscape, the painter emphasizes both the humanity of the figures and their spiritual significance, inviting contemplation of the divine within everyday life.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on panel, the painting displays the delicate brushwork and luminous colour typical of the Venetian school. The artist employs subtle transitions of light to model forms, while the overall tone remains muted, contributing to the work’s calm atmosphere. The handling of drapery and flesh reflects a refined, gentle approach.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in the workshop of Cima da Conegliano, an artist active in Venice during the same period as Giovanni Bellini. After changing hands over the centuries, it entered the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s collection, where it remains on public display.
Context
Cima’s career unfolded in a vibrant artistic milieu that included Bellini, whose numerous Madonnas set a high standard for devotional imagery. While both painters treated the same subject repeatedly, Cima’s version is distinguished by its softer emotional tone and restrained colour, reflecting his personal interpretation within the broader Venetian tradition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano
Giovanni Battista Cima, also called Cima da Conegliano (c. 1459 – c. 1517), was an Italian Renaissance painter, who mostly worked in Venice. He can be considered part of the Venetian school, though he was also…
