Madonna Adoring the Child
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Authors
Andrea della Robbia
Date
Type
image
Language
Keyword
Madonna , Child , Mary , Christ , Jesus , lilies
Alternative Title
Abstract
Andrea della Robbia made several versions of this composition, probably using a mold. He then customized each, for example by changing the framing elements and adding a familial coat of arms. Here the arms are those of Brunazio Compagni and Antonietta Landi, who were married in 1485. This glazed terracotta relief, now in the Museo di San Marco in Florence, was surely made for the occasion, presumably for domestic devotion. An image of the exemplar of lily-white chastity adoring her beautiful baby boy (his genitalia showing to make this clear) would be particularly appropriate, both for prayer, and because looking at images of healthy baby boys was thought to help women conceive a boy. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
Museo di San Marco, Florence
Citation
Giancarlo Gentilini, I Della Robbia (Florence: Cantini, 1992), I: 221, 270, n. 30.