Madonna and Child 1963

Allan D'Arcangelo made this painting, "Madonna and Child," inspired by an image of Jackie Kennedy and her daughter Caroline. It reflects the cultural fascination with the Kennedy family during the 1960s. D'Arcangelo uses hard-edged abstraction, flattening the figures and simplifying their forms. This technique distances the viewer, transforming a tender maternal image into something more iconic and less personal. The halo evokes traditional religious painting, but here it surrounds the secular royalty of the Kennedys. The faceless representation invites viewers to project their own feelings and memories onto the image. The painting speaks to the themes of celebrity, motherhood, and the construction of public image, asking us to consider the emotional distance created by media representation and how iconic images shape our understanding of identity and history.