Artwork
Madonna
Madonna is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Plump-Cheeked Madonnas. It dates from 1493 and is held in the collection of the Groeningemuseum. Created in 1493, this oil painting portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1493, this oil painting portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ. The work belongs to the Northern Renaissance and is part of the collection at the Groeningemuseum.
Subject & Meaning
Mary is shown in a red mantle over a dark dress, gazing tenderly at the naked child seated on her lap. The infant reaches toward an orange held by his mother, a detail that may allude to nourishment or the fruit of salvation.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on panel, the painting displays the fine modelling and subtle colour transitions characteristic of the Northern Renaissance. The figures are rendered with rounded, plump features, and the landscape background—trees, a house, and a boat on water—provides a calm, natural setting.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the anonymous Master of the Plump‑Cheeked Madonnas, the work has remained in the Netherlands and is now displayed in the Groeningemuseum, where it represents the artist’s typical devotional imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Plump-Cheeked Madonnas
This anonymous painter left us two surviving Madonnas, both in tempera on panel around 1485.
