Virgin and Child with Two Angels (detail) 1478

Andrea del Verrocchio painted this oil and tempera on panel, Virgin and Child with Two Angels, sometime in the late 15th century. The Renaissance in Florence, Italy was a patriarchal society, deeply rooted in religious tradition, which dictated specific roles for women. What is interesting to me is how Verrocchio, working within those constraints, still manages to present the Virgin Mary as a figure of warmth and humanity. Here, Mary embodies maternal tenderness, a stark contrast to the often-distant, regal portrayals of the Virgin in earlier art. We can also think about the way in which motherhood has been represented and idealized in Western art. This particular painting is more about the human connection between mother and child, rather than religious dogma. Verrocchio encourages us to consider the multifaceted nature of the Virgin, as both divine and human. It is the subtle details, like the softness of Mary’s gaze and the chubby fingers of the Christ Child, that make this work so emotionally resonant.