The Virgin And Child. 17th Century Period

Oil on oak panel Presented in its carved and gilded wooden frame (most likely the original frame.) Overall dimensions: 24 x 20.5 cm Provenance: Private collection, France. This painting model is probably an early example of religious iconography from the late Byzantine period or early Italian Renaissance, created by a Flemish artist, influenced by the Byzantine tradition. It embodies the devotional and spiritual themes typical of icons used both in liturgical settings and in private devotion. The gold background and the stylized, otherworldly depiction of the figures are characteristics of Byzantine iconography, which greatly influenced medieval and early Renaissance art in Europe. The use of more naturalistic forms and a slight attempt at depth, even within the limits of iconographic tradition, suggest a period of transition towards the beginning of the Renaissance. 17th-century Flemish version of the Italo-Byzantine composition, of the Glykophilousa type, preserved since 1450 in Cambrai Cathedral (Cf. Erwin Panofsky, Les Primitifs flamands, pp. 533 & 534; fig. 389. - Hazan 1971).