The Virgin and Child
1490 Harvard Art Museums
About this artwork
This devotional painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ, who reaches for a pomegranate. The figures are framed by classical architecture and set against a serene landscape featuring distant castles.
Did you know?
Botticelli's "The Virgin and Child" captures the tender bond between mother and son, a hallmark of Renaissance devotional art. The pomegranate held by the Christ Child is a rich symbol in Christian art, often representing the Resurrection and eternal life due to its many seeds. This work exemplifies Botticelli's masterful use of line and graceful forms that defined the Florentine Early Renaissance.
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The Virgin and Child
Sandro Botticelli, 1490
