Madonna and Child 1635 - 1640

Massimo Stanzione created this Madonna and Child with oil paints, a medium that had become increasingly refined by the seventeenth century. Note how Stanzione uses the fluid properties of the paint to build up layers of color and shadow. Look closely at the folds of the Madonna’s robes, the subtle gradations of light on the Christ Child’s skin, and the soft contours of their faces. These are all achieved through the careful manipulation of the oil paint, which Stanzione applied in thin glazes to create a luminous effect. Oil paint allowed artists to achieve a new level of naturalism and expressiveness, capturing the textures and details of the world around them, but also imbuing the work with emotive depth. The traditional artistic methods of painting are evident here, but also the labour, skill, and artistic choices, blurring any lines between craft and art.