Madonna del Parto 1460

Piero della Francesca painted this fresco of the Madonna del Parto in the mid-15th century in Italy. It depicts Mary as the Madonna of childbirth, a devotional image that was especially popular in rural areas at this time. Here, the Madonna stands in the middle of a tent-like structure, which is held open by two angels. She is portrayed as a monumental figure, but also an ordinary woman, modestly pregnant. This combination is typical of 15th century religious painting, which sought to make sacred figures accessible to ordinary people. The work speaks to the increasing importance of local cults and confraternities, which commissioned works such as this one for their own chapels and meeting houses. These institutions had a strong social function and shaped artistic production and consumption in the Italian Renaissance. To understand the fresco better, we can look at the history of childbirth in Renaissance Italy, as well as records about the social and religious life in the town where it was painted. These sources remind us that the meaning of art is always rooted in the specific time and place in which it was made.