Artwork
Madonna and Child
Madonna and Child is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Paolo Uccello. It dates from 1445 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1445 by the Florentine artist Paolo Uccello, this tempera panel belongs to the early Renaissance. It presents a devotional image of the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ, both surrounded by luminous halos. The composition is modest in scale and now resides in the National Gallery of Ireland.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is Mary, depicted in a dark robe, her serene expression conveying maternal devotion. The child, seated on her lap, looks upward with clasped hands, a gesture of reverence. The surrounding aureole, rendered as radiant gold, emphasizes the sacred nature of the pair, a common visual cue for divinity in 15th‑century religious art.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera, the work relies on pigment mixed with egg yolk, producing a matte finish and fine detail. Uccello’s handling of light through the golden halos contrasts with the subdued background, while the delicate modeling of faces reflects his interest in precise, linear forms characteristic of early Renaissance painting.
History & Provenance
After its creation in Florence, the panel entered various private collections before being acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland, where it forms part of the museum’s early Italian holdings. Documentation traces its ownership through 19th‑century sales, confirming its attribution to Uccello.
Context
The painting illustrates the period’s shift toward naturalistic representation within devotional subjects. Uccello, also noted for his experiments with perspective, applies a measured spatial arrangement, situating the holy figures against a faint, pinkish cloud that suggests an ethereal setting without fully abandoning medieval iconographic conventions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paolo Uccello ( oo-CHEL-oh, Italian: ; 1397 – 10 December 1475), born Paolo di Dono, was an Italian Renaissance painter and mathematician from Florence who was notable for his pioneering work on visual perspective in art.
![Madonna and Child, with the Blessing Christ [middle panel], by Martino di Bartolomeo](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/martino-di-bartolomeo--madonna-and-child-with-the-blessing-christ-middle-panel--9e7ebbf6d3ba8295-w320.webp)
