Manchester Madonna, c. 1494 temperaTerm applied to any paint in which the pigment is dissolved in water and mixed with an organic gum or glue.Term applied to any paint in which the pigment is dissolved in water and mixed with an organic gum or glue. on panel 105 cm × 76 cm (41 in × 30 in) Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Manchester Madonna, also known as The Madonna and Child with St John and Angels, is an unfinished temperaTerm applied to any paint in which the pigment is dissolved in water and mixed with an organic gum or glue.Term applied to any paint in which the pigment is dissolved in water and mixed with an organic gum or glue. on panel painting undertaken in c. 1494 by Michelangelo (1475–1564), and probably the earliest of his surviving paintings. Why the painting was never completed is unknown.[1]
The work, which had only recently been attributed to Michelangelo, caused much excitement when it was exhibited at the Manchester Art Treasures exhibition of 1857Exhibition of fine art art held in Manchester in 1857, the largest art exhibition ever in the UK., hence it being named the Manchester Madonna.[2] It was acquired by the National Gallery in 1870.[1]
The two angels on the left are represented only by the lines marking the folds in their clothes, and areas of greenish underpainting traditionally used to balance the pinkish flesh tones that would be painted over them. Similarly, the black of the Virgin Mary’s cloak has not received its finishing coats of blue.[1]
Composition
The figures are arranged as in a marble relief, filling almost the entire panel, reflecting Michelangelo’s training as a sculptor. The Virgin in the centre is sitting on a rock, next to the child Jesus and a young John the Baptist looking out of the picture, wearing his camel skin. The scene is framed by angels on both sides.[1]
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service. By clicking on “All cookies”, you consent to us using all cookies and plug-ins as described in our Cookie policy.
Functional cookies
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.