3-002-803 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Madonna and Child, c1485. In this depiction of a tender moment between Mary and the infant Christ, the figures' human qualities are emphasized, with particular attention paid to rendering their supple flesh and communicating their intimate relationship by means of exchanged glances. The window at the left, opening onto a distant landscape, is a motif derived from contemporary Flemish painting. The deep red curtain patterned with gold hanging behind the Madonna functions as a cloth of honor denoting her status as Queen of Heaven.