Virgin and Child with Angels 1513 - 1523

Bernard van Orley painted this "Virgin and Child with Angels," sometime in the first half of the 16th century, during the Northern Renaissance. Van Orley, as court painter, worked for powerful patrons like Margaret of Austria and Mary of Hungary. The painting's setting, reminiscent of a tranquil, enclosed garden, was designed to evoke a sense of peace, a respite from the tumultuous religious and political landscape of the time, marked by the Reformation. The artwork depicts Mary, with a gentle, almost melancholic expression, embracing the Christ child. Two angels are to the left of Mary and Christ, perhaps symbolizing innocence. Mary’s gentle gaze and the tender embrace of the child is a humanizing depiction of motherhood. Yet, this Madonna remains an idealized figure, reflecting the period's complex negotiations between religious devotion and humanism.