Madonna and Child, c. 1310
Segna di Buonaventuraexpand_more
Tempera and gold ground on poplar panelexpand_more
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund and Gift of Funds from Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrisonexpand_more 87.64
On View in Gallery 343expand_more
Mary, the mother of Jesus, insists you look her in the eye. She has long inspired intense devotion. Christians believed that a relationship with her would bring them closer to her son, and worshippers identified with her role as a mother. Segna portrays them both as very human and approachable—Jesus plays with his doting mother’s fingers like any other baby. Yet his erect posture and serious countenance convey the wisdom and spiritual authority of the man he would become. The painting was once the central part of a five-panel altarpiece and was likely cut down in the 1800s to fit this frame.
Explore
Audio
Details
- Title
- Madonna and Child
- Artist Life
- Italian (Siena), active 1298 - 1326/31
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 87.64
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.