Madonna and Child
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Authors
Unknown artist (circle of Stefano da Putignano)
Date
Type
Image
Language
Keyword
Madonna , Child , Mary , Jesus , Virgin , Christ
Alternative Title
Abstract
This life-sized Madonna and Child was originally placed on the high altar of San Benedetto in Brindisi and was traditionally revered by women who had given birth and feared losing their breastmilk prematurely. The unusual sculpted rosette placed directly over the breast of the Madonna draws attention to the Virgin's role as a nursing mother. The statue is traditionally referred to as the Madonna della Neve (Madonna of Snow), a reference to a vision of the Madonna, followed by a miraculous snowfall. Its composition is similar to that seen in the Madonna di Trapani and works by Antonello Gagini (1478-1536) and Francesco Laurana (1430-1502). Some of the bodily proportions of the sculpture are inaccurate, such as the Madonna's head, which is too small for her body. This anatomical disporportion is not unusual in Putignano's works. However, the attribution of this sculpture has been contested. Some scholars argue that it was made by an imitator in the circle of Stefano da Putignano (1470-1539) based on certain features, such as the Christ child's roughly cut eyes. Others believe the sculpture was made much earlier, in the trecento. Clara Gelao, the expert in Stefano da Putignano, has recently posited that this is one of several works that can be identified as being by an artist she has dubbed the ""Maestro della 'Madonna di San Benedetto' di Brindisi."" Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
San Benedetto, Brindisi
Citation
Clara Gelao, Stefano da Putignano ""virtuoso"" scultore del rinascimento (Bari: Mario Adda, 2020), 206-7; Clara Gelao, Stefano da Putignano nella scultura pugliese del rinascimento (Fasano di Brindisi: Schena, 1990), cat. 34, pp. 108-9.