Madonna with Pear c. 1515

Joos van Cleve’s ‘Madonna with Pear’ was painted in the Netherlands sometime in the early 16th century. The painting shows Mary breastfeeding her child. The haloes above their heads indicate their holiness. Mary is also offering the child a pear. This image of the Madonna and child is both intimate and idealized. It reminds us of the central role that the church played in the daily lives of people at this time. As an institution, the church had the ability to dictate social norms and influence gender roles. Mary is portrayed as both mother and Queen of Heaven, embodying the ideal of motherhood that was so culturally important. The artwork is a testament to the enduring power of images to shape our understanding of the world. To find out more, one could delve into treatises on motherhood from this period and the records of religious institutions. The meaning of this painting is contingent on its specific social and institutional context.