Virgin and Child
ArtistFollower of the
Master of The Legend of the Magdalene
(Flemish, active ca.1485 - ca.1530)
CultureFlemish
Dateca. 1520-25
MediumOil on panel
DimensionsOverall: 28 3/4 x 20 1/8 in. (73 x 51.1 cm)
Overall, Frame: 41 x 31 in. (104.1 x 78.7 cm)
Overall, Frame: 41 x 31 in. (104.1 x 78.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation
Object number2014.3.3
Not on view
DescriptionOil on wood painting. The Virgin Mary sits within an enclosed space, on the ground, with her child. An angel hovers just outside of the enclosed garden. She holds a thornless rose in her hand; inscribed on her cloak is a prayer, written in Latin.Label TextFollower of the Master of the Legend of the Magdalene Flemish, active ca. 1480–1530 Virgin and Child, ca. 1520–25 Oil on wood Modern eyes might see little more than a Virgin and Child in a landscape. Yet medieval viewers would have sensed a set of symbols extolling the Virgin’s virtues. Her walled enclosure is not merely a garden, but the biblical “enclosed garden,” a metaphor for her chastity. Rather than a regal throne, she sits on the ground, a humble perch signifying her humility. Since devotional images like this one were meant to inspire prayer, a Latin verse woven into the Virgin’s cloak would have prompted the faithful to begin their devotions. It reads, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, remember me thy son, have pity on me.” Gift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation 2014.3.3 ProvenanceGift of the Irene Leache Memorial Foundation to the Chrysler Museum of Art, March 2014.Exhibition History"Fifty Painters of Architecture," Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT, Oct. 30 - Dec. 7, 1947, no. 29. Published ReferencesVIRGINIAN-PILOT, Dec. 25, 1955, on editorial page with an editorial on it by William S. Meacham; "Famous Religious Paintings Calendar" for 1958; "Museum Piece of the Week", VIRGINIAN-PILOT, July 10, 1959.
