Madonna and Child c. 15th century

Editor: Here we have a tiny drawing called "Madonna and Child," made by someone imitating Filippino Lippi. It’s only a few inches big! The lines are so delicate, like a spiderweb. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Consider the act of imitation itself. What materials would the artist have used? Who was the intended audience? The size suggests private devotion, made accessible through the relative ease of replication. The work is not striving to be ‘high art’, but rather a simulacrum that served a distinct social function. Editor: So, it's less about the artistic genius and more about the accessibility of religious imagery? I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on production and reception, we can reveal the networks of labor and consumption that shaped even seemingly pious images.