Madonna and Child 1506 - 1518

Boccaccio Boccaccino painted this ‘Madonna and Child’ with oil on wood panel in Italy at the start of the 16th century. It depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ. The picture's meaning emerges from a particular social and political context and the hierarchies inherent in religious institutions of the time. The painting participates in a visual language familiar to its contemporary audience. Mary is serene and graceful, embodying ideals of motherhood and piety, whilst also subtly alluding to her future suffering as the mother of Christ. The inclusion of a goldfinch, handed to Christ, may symbolize the Eucharist, and emphasizes Christ's destiny. Painted for the church or a private patron, it affirmed religious doctrine and upheld social norms. Art historians can use primary source documents, such as contracts between artists and patrons, theological treatises, and records from religious institutions to understand the social conditions in which this painting was made. The image then becomes more than just a devotional object, it becomes evidence of a complex historical dynamic.