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Madonna and Child with Two AngelsMadonna and Child with Two Angels © Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

Madonna and Child with Two Angels

Fra Filippo Lippi. c. 1465 C.E. Tempera on wood.

Curator Note

"A humanized, playful depiction of the Virgin and Child. Lippi, a monk who fell in love with a nun, used her as the model for Mary. The painting is famous for its delicate line, soft beauty, and the mischievous grin of the angel, bringing the divine down to a relatable, earthly level."

Form

  • Tempera on wood.
  • Delicate, fluid line (linear style).
  • Atmospheric perspective in the landscape.
  • Pale, translucent skin tones.
  • Frame within a frame composition.

Function

  • Private devotional image.
  • To beautify the subject of religion.
  • To celebrate human beauty as a reflection of the divine.
  • Influence on Botticelli (Lippi's student).
  • Medici commission.

Content

  • Mary praying, looking elegant and fashionable (pearls).
  • Christ child looks like a real baby, reaching out.
  • Two angels holding him up; one grins at the viewer.
  • Landscape reflects the Arno valley.
  • Halo is a barely visible rim of light.

Context

  • Lippi was a scandalous monk (forger, lover).
  • Cosimo de Medici was his patron and protector.
  • High Renaissance is approaching.
  • Shift towards naturalism and beauty.
  • Model is Lucrezia Buti.