The Madonna of the Cherubim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
| Madonna with the Cherubim |
| Andrea Mantegna, c. 1485 |
| Wood |
| 88 × 70 cm |
| Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan |
The Madonna with the Cherubim is a c.1485 painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna.
Until 1808 the painting was in the convent of S. Maria Maggiore, Venice, where Jacopo Sansovino saw it. It is now located in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy. This exquisite painting of the Virgin set against a sky thick with clouds and cherubs shows the influence of Giovanni Bellini's palette. In fact it was attributed to Bellini until Cavenaghi restored the picture in 1885. As the panel appears to have been cut down on the sides, its original composition is debatable. The painting may have been commissioned by the Duchess of Ferrara; the intensely human face of the Madonna (art) would be suitable in a work intended for private devotion.
