Medieval · National Gallery of Art · 46194

Madonna and Child with Two Angels

Verona 14th Century, 1321

A woman sitting on a throne with a child on her lap and two angels are carved from white marble and decorated with a few areas of gold in this freestanding sculpture. All four people face us in this photograph, and they have round cheeks, square jawlines, and closed lips. Black dots are painted for pupils but without irises or other paint on their faces, they all look startled or intense. The woman wears a gold crown over a cloth that drapes over her head, shoulders, and across her lap. Her knees are apart, and pointed shoes peek out under the rippling hem of her dress. She braces the child’s torso with her left hand, to our right, and touches his upper leg with the other hand. The child’s adult-like face is framed by gold hair. He holds up one hand, though the fingers have been broken off, and holds an open book facing out propped on his leg with his other hand. Writing on the pages has been painted. Two child-like, wingless angels stand on the arms of the throne behind the woman’s shoulders and hold a cloth up behind her head. On all four people, their hair and the necklines, hems, and cuffs of their garments have been painted with gold geometric designs. The Latin text on the book reads, "CONTINET IN GERMIO CELV TERRA Q REGENTE VIRGO DEI GENETRIX MCCCXXI.”

National Gallery of Art · National Gallery of Art, Washington · Samuel H. Kress Collection · CC0 · Public domain

Artist: Verona 14th Century
Date: 1321
Medium: marble
Dimensions: 89.5 x 46.4 x 38.8 cm (35 1/4 x 18 1/4 x 15 1/4 in.)
Era: Medieval

Why it matters

Madonna and Child with Two Angels, dated 1321, is catalogued by National Gallery of Art as a work in marble. The museum attributes the work to Verona 14th Century. The recorded dimensions are 89.5 x 46.4 x 38.8 cm (35 1/4 x 18 1/4 x 15 1/4 in.). This factual page is generated from the museum catalogue and links directly to its source record.

National Gallery of Art collection record