Madonna and Child

Boccaccio Boccaccino c1466 - 1525

Summary

The monumentality of this painting by Boccaccino derives from the solid triangle created by the Madonna's full-square pose and statuesque drapery, whose folds and colours are closely related to those of the landscape beyond. The Infant, secure in his mother's lap, examines the vulnerable goldfinch in his tiny fist with naive curiosity. The goldfinch, which symbolises the Passion and the Resurrection, appears in several paintings by Boccaccino. According to Christian legend, it received its red markings after pulling a thorn from Christ's brow, which stained it with a drop of his blood. The Virgin's solemn expression indicates the dreadful nature of this portent. Boccaccino was born in Ferrara and worked in Genoa, Ferrara and Venice, as well as Cremona, where he painted the frescoes for the cathedral, for which he is best remembered. This work is closely related to three others of this subject by him, which can be dated on stylistic grounds to c. 1510-11, when he was in Venice.