Artwork
Virgin Suckling the Child
Virgin Suckling the Child is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Second Master of Estopanyà. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Created around 1450, this panel depicts the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus while seated on an elaborately adorned throne.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1450, this panel depicts the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus while seated on an elaborately adorned throne. The work is attributed to the anonymous figure known as the Second Master of Estopanyà and is part of the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the intimate act of the Virgin breastfeeding the Christ child, a motif that emphasizes both the humanity and divine motherhood of Mary. Flanking the central pair are two angels, each holding a musical instrument, underscoring the scene’s devotional and celebratory character.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on panel, the painting employs a luminous gold background filled with intricate patterns that frame the figures. The Virgin’s blue robe trimmed in gold, her red cloak, and the infant’s pink garment are rendered with fine brushwork, while the angels’ trumpets and lute feature similarly detailed gilded ornamentation.
History & Provenance
The artwork has been preserved within the Catalan national museum’s holdings, where it remains on display. Its attribution to the Second Master of Estopanyà reflects scholarly consensus based on stylistic parallels with other mid‑15th‑century works from the region.
Artist & collection
Artist
This painter made calm, gold-backed scenes of Mary and Jesus in the mid-1400s. Look at the Dormition of the Virgin, where the apostles gather around Mary as she dies, and the Archangel Gabriel from an Annunciation,…
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