Madonna of the Lillies 1495 - 1505

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to "Madonna of the Lillies," a captivating marble relief from the Italian Renaissance, dating roughly between 1495 and 1505 and believed to be by Benedetto Buglioni. You can find it here at The Met. Editor: My first thought? Pure serenity. The composition, a circle cradling the Madonna and child, feels like a visual mantra. Curator: It's interesting you say that. The circular format itself evokes wholeness and eternity, common symbols in Renaissance art referencing the divine and everlasting nature of the figures depicted. The lilies are potent, too. Editor: Of course, lilies! Obvious in hindsight. They shout purity, hope, even resurrection. It is curious the Madonna’s face has a shadowed downward glance. It brings such palpable emotion into a classic subject. It avoids the risk of becoming stale, expected. Curator: Precisely. That hint of melancholy—we see the Madonna contemplating her child’s future, her serene grace coexisting with an awareness of his destiny. And this tension gives the piece so much of its power. Editor: I almost want to reach out and touch the baby's chubby cheeks, though of course, one cannot touch the art! There is great skill there, the texture, and then, so pristine despite its age. Curator: Buglioni came from a family of sculptors renowned for their terracotta work, but this being marble speaks to both luxury and durability—an aspiration towards timelessness itself. Editor: A beautiful encapsulation of an intimate maternal bond framed within layers of history, symbolism and artistic choices. Not a bad find! Curator: Indeed, an eloquent articulation in stone. Food for thought on the perennial appeal of simple, well-crafted imagery.