COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1952.110
AMICA Library Year:
2000
Object Type:
Paintings
Creator Name:
Lippo Memmi
Creator Nationality:
European; Southern European; Italian
Creator Role:
artist
Creator Dates/Places:
1563 - 1639 - bef 1498
Gender:
M
Creator Name-CRT:
Lippo Memmi
Title:
Virgin and Child
Title Type:
Primary
View:
Full View
Creation Date:
c. 1350
Creation Start Date:
1345
Creation End Date:
1355
Materials and Techniques:
tempera and gold on wood
Dimensions:
Unframed: 71.3cm x 44cm
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number:
1952.110
Credit Line:
Gift of the Hanna Fund
Provenance:
Richard von Kaufman (Berlin sale 1917); August Lederer, Vienna (1924), to Erich Lederer.
Context:
Like any small child, the infant Christ clings to his mother's clothing. He also holds a scroll that proclaims (in Latin) his special destiny, "I am the way, the truth, and the light." Likewise, the star-shaped ornament on the Virgin Mary's cloak emphasizes her importance. Called the Star of the Sea, the symbol represents her guiding role for humanity, as navigational stars do for mariners.Lippo Memmi was the brother-in-law of Simone Martini, an extremely influential Sienese painter. The two artists worked closely together, and this Virgin and Child reflects Simone's cool, aristocratic style. This small panel was probably a private devotional object displayed in a noble home.The raised decoration and elegant five-arched molding are original to the painting. To acheive these effects, the artist sculpted the wet plaster of the ground layer before covering it with gold leaf; in a few places this gold leaf has worn off, revealing the white plaster underneath.
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1952.110.tif
