- Virgin and Child
Frame: 45 13/16 × 27 1/2 in. (116.4 × 69.9 cm)
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This exceptionally fine depiction of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child was created by an anonymous painter distinguished for his traditional patterning of the gold ground, striking combinations of rich colors, and skill in rendering the diaphanous drapery. "Master of the Straus Madonna" is the pseudonym given to an unknown Italian artist who worked in Florence toward the beginning of the 15th century. Art historians use the designation "Master of" to label the creators of anonymous works for convenience in discussing them. "Straus" refers to Mr. and Mrs. Straus, who donated this painting to the MFAH in 1944.
In this beautifully preserved panel, the modeling of the Virgin and Child demonstrates the artist's awareness of early Renaissance developments in painting the human figure as a volume in space. The Christ Child holds a goldfinch—a common symbol of the Resurrection—and wears a coral pendant, a talisman believed since ancient times to protect against evil.
ProvenanceCarlo Pini, c. 1898; acquired by James Kerr Lawson, Settignano, Italy; acquired by Edward Hutton (1875–1969), London; acquired by Percy S. Straus, New York, 1926; bequeathed to the MFAH, 1944.
Exhibition History"Paintings from American Museums, 1976 U.S.S.R. Exchange," State Hermitage Museum, Leningrad, Russia, February 11–March 24, 1976; State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, April 8–May 20, 1976; State Museum of Ukrainian Art, Kiev, June 3–July 15, 1976; Belorussian State Museum of Fine Arts, Minsk, Belarus, July 30–September 10, 1976.
"Chefs-d'oeuvre de musees des Etats-Unis: de Giorgione a Picasso," Musee Marmottan, Paris, 1976.
"Virgin and Child," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, November 22, 1993–January 31, 1994.
“Masterpieces of European Painting from the 15th to 20th Centuries from The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation," Museum of Art, Ehime, Matsuyama, Japan, April 13–May 30, 1999; Chiba Prefectural Art Museum, Japan, June 5–July 11, 1999; Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Tsu, Japan, July 17–August 22, 1999; Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan, August 27–October 3, 1999.
"Passion for Perfection: The Straus Collection of Renaissance Art," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 21, 2017–June 17, 2018.
"Gotico Americano: I Maestri della Madonna Straus dal Museum of Fine Arts di Houston, Texas," Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, September 27, 2018–January 27, 2019.
"New Light on Old Masters: European Art from Houston Collections," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 2, 2021–January 23, 2022.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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