Madonna and Child

This is one of two types of paintings of the Christ Child nursing at the Virgin’s breast established by van Cleve during the first decade of the sixteenth century. In one, Christ is unclothed and wrapped in a white blanket; in the other, he wears a white garment akin to a nightshirt and is seated on the Virgin’s lap. The compositions were derived, in part, from prototypes by the Flemish artists Robert Campin (1378 – 1444) and Gerard David (1460 – 1523).

In this example, modeled on an original in a European private collection, the Virgin gazes tenderly at the Child who looks directly at the viewer. The composition eliminates any additional narrative and instead emphasizes the purely devotional function of the image. Numerous workshop examples exist, strongly suggesting that van Cleve’s compositions were both a religious and commercial success. They met the need for an image that could be used for private devotion and contemplation, but were also a type of painting that could have been produced in multiples for the open marketplace without the need for a specific commission.