Virgo Lactans - Oil On Copper - Venetian Master - Early 17th Century
Artist: Maître Vénitien
"Virgin of the Milk"
(Virgo Lactans)
Oil on copper with gold highlights
Venetian Master
Early 17th century
Copper, 14x18 cm
Original frame, 18x22 cm
Architectural frame, 40x70 cm
The painting is in excellent condition.
This small gem, painted in oil on copper with exquisite finesse, depicts the Virgin holding the Child in her arms and offering him her breast to nurse him.
The Child’s face, seen in profile, is turned upward and meets the gaze of the Mother, who lowers her eyes in a tender maternal gesture.
It is a particularly sought-after subject, highly evocative, and the image is very pleasing.
The artist is a 17th-century Venetian painter influenced by Flemish painting.
The copper plate, including the original thin frame, has been set within a magnificent niche with a distinctly architectural design, creating the effect of a splendid miniature altarpiece.
In addition to highlighting and enhancing the painting, this rare small altarpiece in gilded and silvered wood adds significant value, blending perfectly into a fusion of two Venetian works of art from the same era.
The Virgin of the Milk, in Latin "Virgo Lactans," is a highly significant Christian iconography in ancient painting and of great interest to any art collector. It falls within the so-called "Marian iconography," that is, the category encompassing all sacred depictions featuring the Virgin Mary as the central figure.
With very ancient origins, stemming from Eastern culture and also present in the Orthodox tradition, the depiction of the Madonna nursing the Child has undergone numerous variations over the centuries, taking on different meanings depending on the period and the culture of the places where it was found. In the West, the Madonna of the Milk underwent a significant change, moving away from stylized representations to embrace a greater naturalism in the figures and poses. The figure is no longer depicted in a frontal and solemn manner, and an affectionate exchange of glances is established with the Child, just as in the work under consideration.
The Council of Trent, which began in 1543, defined the Church’s position regarding devotional iconography with the decree: “De invocatione, veneratione, et reliquiis sanctorum et sacris imaginibus.”
Among the aims of this decree was the desire to avoid images of a sensual nature or perceived as such by the morals of the time. The Tridentine Catholic Reformation included among these inappropriate images—which could mislead the faithful—depictions of Mary with bare breasts, as they were accused of distracting the faithful from prayer. The bishops were tasked with evaluating sacred images and deciding whether they should be retouched or removed. In the Diocese of Milan, it was Carlo Borromeo in particular who found such depictions—which were widespread in Brianza—to be inappropriate, ordering that in many cases they be covered with repainting. Churches dedicated to the “Madonna del latte” had to change their names.
(Virgo Lactans)
Oil on copper with gold highlights
Venetian Master
Early 17th century
Copper, 14x18 cm
Original frame, 18x22 cm
Architectural frame, 40x70 cm
The painting is in excellent condition.
This small gem, painted in oil on copper with exquisite finesse, depicts the Virgin holding the Child in her arms and offering him her breast to nurse him.
The Child’s face, seen in profile, is turned upward and meets the gaze of the Mother, who lowers her eyes in a tender maternal gesture.
It is a particularly sought-after subject, highly evocative, and the image is very pleasing.
The artist is a 17th-century Venetian painter influenced by Flemish painting.
The copper plate, including the original thin frame, has been set within a magnificent niche with a distinctly architectural design, creating the effect of a splendid miniature altarpiece.
In addition to highlighting and enhancing the painting, this rare small altarpiece in gilded and silvered wood adds significant value, blending perfectly into a fusion of two Venetian works of art from the same era.
The Virgin of the Milk, in Latin "Virgo Lactans," is a highly significant Christian iconography in ancient painting and of great interest to any art collector. It falls within the so-called "Marian iconography," that is, the category encompassing all sacred depictions featuring the Virgin Mary as the central figure.
With very ancient origins, stemming from Eastern culture and also present in the Orthodox tradition, the depiction of the Madonna nursing the Child has undergone numerous variations over the centuries, taking on different meanings depending on the period and the culture of the places where it was found. In the West, the Madonna of the Milk underwent a significant change, moving away from stylized representations to embrace a greater naturalism in the figures and poses. The figure is no longer depicted in a frontal and solemn manner, and an affectionate exchange of glances is established with the Child, just as in the work under consideration.
The Council of Trent, which began in 1543, defined the Church’s position regarding devotional iconography with the decree: “De invocatione, veneratione, et reliquiis sanctorum et sacris imaginibus.”
Among the aims of this decree was the desire to avoid images of a sensual nature or perceived as such by the morals of the time. The Tridentine Catholic Reformation included among these inappropriate images—which could mislead the faithful—depictions of Mary with bare breasts, as they were accused of distracting the faithful from prayer. The bishops were tasked with evaluating sacred images and deciding whether they should be retouched or removed. In the Diocese of Milan, it was Carlo Borromeo in particular who found such depictions—which were widespread in Brianza—to be inappropriate, ordering that in many cases they be covered with repainting. Churches dedicated to the “Madonna del latte” had to change their names.
2 500 €
Period: 17th century
Style: Renaissance, Louis 13th
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Oil painting on copper
Width: 40
Height: 70
Reference (ID): 1766303
Availability: In stock
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