A Stone Cartouche with Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ in a Niche encircled by a Garland of Flowers 1645 - 1700

This oil painting of the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ surrounded by flowers was likely made in the Netherlands during the 17th century. The visual codes present in the image, such as the flowers, stone, and religious iconography, create meaning through cultural and historical associations. During this time in the Netherlands, the Catholic faith was under pressure from the rise of Protestantism. While the Protestant churches were iconoclastic, banning religious images, Catholic art was still being produced, often for private devotion rather than public display. Here we see traditional religious iconography being merged with a secular interest in floral painting that was on the rise at the time. The stone cartouche, or frame, acts like a stage for the mother and child, but the vivid flowers assert their own presence. By exploring parish records, guild archives, and family inventories we can better understand the place of religious imagery in the lives of ordinary people at the time. What emerges is a picture of faith adapting to the changing social and institutional landscape of the Dutch Golden Age.