Madonna and Child 1500 - 1529

Ercole Banci painted this Madonna and Child in the early 16th century, working in oil on panel. Oil paint was the hot new medium at the time, prized for its capacity to mimic textures, and its relative ease of blending. These qualities allowed Banci to model his figures with an almost sculptural presence. Look closely, and you can almost feel the weight of the Christ Child in Mary’s arms. But this wasn’t just about technique. Oil paint also permitted a greater degree of naturalism, which appealed to a growing market of private patrons. More so, it implied wealth. Acquiring pigments like ultramarine, ground from precious lapis lazuli, was no small expense. So, while the subject may be timeless, the painting itself is very much of its moment. It reflects a society in which artistic skill, devotional imagery, and the marketplace were becoming ever more intertwined.