Madonna and Child

The Virgin tenderly embraces her Child, holding his face with her fingers. Jesus, wrapped in a thin white cloth, is fast asleep and his mouth is open. The image is possibly a foreshadowing of his death: the white cloth enclosing his body alludes to the shroud in which he will be laid, and the Virgin’s absorbed and melancholy expression also hints at this event.
The pyramidal structure of the composition is emphasized by Mary’s mantle that encloses the two figures in a single compact form, amplifying the Mother’s protective attitude toward her Child.
Spatial depth is suggested by two vertical brown side elements (perhaps the frame of a door or a window), on which are superimposed the arms of the Virgin, who depicted in a slightly three-quarter pose, with her left shoulder coming forward and her knee, on which the Child is seated, protruding toward the viewer.
The black background colour derives from Flemish works, well known in Italy in the 15th century. The painting, which can be dated to the last years of the 15th century, was made without preparation, on a very fine canvas, clearly visible especially in the lighter areas, below the thin paint layer.
The rather reduced chromatic range has however intense colours, such as the red of the Virgin’s dress and the green of the mantle’s lapel. Some precious gold highlights are still visible on the dress and in Mary’s hair strands. The painting was sold to Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli in 1861 by the famous art historian Giovanni Morelli.