Madonna and Child 1430

Curator: Here we have Filippo Lippi's "Madonna and Child," dating back to approximately 1430. Lippi executed this piece in tempera, a popular medium of the Early Renaissance. Editor: It's strangely endearing, isn’t it? Something about the almost… homemade feel. I mean, you have these halos that look like they've been pasted on by a child, a child with the divine ability to stick gold on anything. The setting feels stark and minimal. The babe with his finger in his mouth, lost in his thoughts or just gurgling a little drool back, while Mother looks out as if knowing the secrets no child is ready for… What do you read? Curator: The painting represents a key development in Renaissance art away from highly symbolic representations towards a more humanized depiction of religious figures. We see the attempt to represent Mary and Jesus with more naturalism. Lippi would've been part of workshops influencing the trends in Florence and other cities, but his early career is less documented than the fame he courted later. There were some rumors of romantic scandal and a supposed elopement from monastic vows. Editor: Oh my! So the man's own world probably spun a story akin to Mary's then... It’s the universality of his image then; even today, anyone in the throes of parental struggle might relate, finding those eyes so tired—they carry whole libraries. Curator: I agree with that; the choice of medium certainly lends a softness and an intimate quality. Lippi employs subtle gradations in color and light to achieve an illusion of depth. This approach represents a departure from the more stylized, flat figures that preceded him. It is this innovation that influenced later Florentine painting, for sure. His focus brought these once ethereal forms down to an earthly, familiar level. It offered viewers in Lippi's time a more relatable image of sacred figures. Editor: This really brings it all home! I hadn't thought about those connections earlier... Perhaps it’s true the best art works as an unwitting invitation to contemplate not only our current existence but also its resonance over time. It’s quite cool.