Madonna and Child
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Authors
Stefano da Putignano, attr.
Date
Type
Image
Language
Keyword
Madonna , Nursing , Latte , Breastfeeding , Child , Jesus
Alternative Title
Abstract
This sculpture has been recently attributed by Clara Gelao, the expert in Stefano da Putignano, to the master himself, after recent photography and technical examination permitted closer observation of the relief, which is covered with thick later over-paint, which not only hides any original polychromy but also obscures the details of the sculptural form. Since the St. Sebastian and St. Peter now displayed in the same church (Chiesa Matrice di San Pietro, Putignano) were made early in the artist's career, this sculpture could likewise have been made for a church in Stefano's hometown in c. 1500, but since the work is not documented until the seventeenth century, its original location is uncertain. If it is one of Stefano's earlier works, the geometric curls of Baby Jesus' hair prefigure the similar stylized spirals of St. Peter's beard. The image combines the tenderly human image of the chubby baby nursing at his mother's ample breast with a hieratic formality in the stiff poses, throne, and symmetrical angels crowning the Virgin and holding a celebratory banner. inscribed REGINA CELI LETARE ALLELVYA ( Queen of Heaven, rejoice, hallelujah), the beginning of a popular prayer and hymn. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
Chiesa Matrice, Putignano
Citation
Clara Gelao, Stefano da Putignano ""virtuoso"" scultore del rinascimento (Bari: Mario Adda, 2020), 56-8.