Artwork
Mary with Child and founder
Mary with Child and founder is a paint painting by the High Renaissance artist Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano. It dates from 1497 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1497 by the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano, this small oil work presents a devotional scene of the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ, accompanied by a kneeling donor. The composition follows the sacra conversazione format, arranging holy figures and a patron within a unified space. The painting now belongs to the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the patron within the sacred gathering reflects the Renaissance practice of linking personal piety with the intercession of the holy family.
The central figures are the Virgin, clothed in a blue mantle, and the naked Christ child, who reaches toward a standing male donor. The donor, rendered with dark hair and a beard, gazes upward with clasped hands, indicating prayerful devotion. The inclusion of the patron within the sacred gathering reflects the Renaissance practice of linking personal piety with the intercession of the holy family.
Technique & Style
Cima employs a gentle chiaroscuro, using soft light to model the figures against a muted landscape. The atmospheric background, with rolling hills, trees, and a distant castle, creates a tranquil setting that enhances the intimate mood. The painter’s careful handling of color and delicate brushwork typify his reputation for serene, landscape‑filled religious scenes intended for private contemplation.
History & Provenance
After its creation for a private patron, the work entered various collections before being acquired by the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, where it remains on display. Its provenance reflects the typical trajectory of small devotional panels, moving from personal chapels to public museums as tastes and collecting practices evolved over the centuries.
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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…
