Maria met kind 1450 - 1475

This sculpture of the Virgin and Child was made by Antonio Rossellino in the 15th century, likely from terracotta. Rossellino uses humble materials to create a tender and intimate scene. The terracotta is not highly refined, and we can imagine the artist's hands pressing and shaping the clay. Terracotta is heavy, lending a sense of gravity and permanence, while the addition of paint animates the surface, though it is now worn off from use. The creation of such a piece involves a skilled artisan, familiar with both sculpting and painting. Rossellino would have understood the material properties of clay, how it responds to pressure, and how it changes when fired. This work operates in a cultural context where religious imagery was commonplace, yet this one stands apart from more luxurious, and expensive works in marble or bronze. Its simple materiality and its accessibility through the skilled labor and making process challenge the traditional hierarchies between fine art and craft.