Madonna and Child with three angels
(c. 1478-1480)
Medium
tempera on wood panel
Measurements
69.8 × 53.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Bequest of Howard Spensley, 1939
Gallery location
16th & 17th Century Gallery - Painting and Sculpture
Mezzanine linked to Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Displaying unfinished paintings is challenging for both museums and for visitors. These kinds of works lack the pristine appearance that is usually expectedin art galleries, yet they reveal fascinating insights into the artistic process. That the two most important figures in this painting –the Christ and the Madonna’s face and hand – are incomplete may indicate that the artist would have drawn the figures and the composition, but left it to his studio assistants to paint much of the background and other figures, leaving him to complete the Madonna and Child and add finishing touches.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Accession Number
555-4
Department
International Painting
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited
Subjects (general)
Human Figures Religion and Mythology
Subjects (specific)
angels (spirits) Christ Child (Christian theme) halos (glories) infants Madonna and Child (Christian theme) mothers women (female humans)