“Madonna and Child”, referred to the circle of Elisabetta Sirani, belongs to the tradition of seventeenth-century Bolognese painting, characterized by strong attention to the grace of the figures, the rendering of emotions and the intimate dimension of the sacred subject. Elisabetta Sirani, one of the most relevant artists of the Emilian Baroque, in fact developed an elegant and devotional language, capable of combining compositional clarity, soft luminosity and intense emotional participation.
In this work, the Virgin is depicted holding the Child close to herself, in a tender and protective gesture. However, the scene does not take on a solemn or detached tone: on the contrary, it favours a familiar and intimate dimension, in which the relationship between mother and child becomes the true centre of the image. The lowered gaze of the Madonna, turned towards the Child, accentuates the affectionate and meditative character of the composition.
Moreover, the soft light models the faces and draperies, enhancing the contrast between the light veil, the blue mantle and the dark background. The close construction of the figures focuses attention on the emotional relationship between the two protagonists, according to a sensibility fully consistent with Bolognese devotional painting.
Overall, “Madonna and Child” represents a work of interest for collectors of Old Master paintings of sacred subject, capable of combining expressive sweetness, formal balance and intense domestic spirituality.
Description: Oil on canvas, H cm 72.5×60 – Within a period 17th-century frame, H cm 93×80.5.
Provenance: Important private collection – Bologna.
Hammer Price: € 5.040,00
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