The Virgin is seated before a cloth of honour. The angels look on from behind a curtain. The Virgin holds a spray of red carnations, a symbol of the death of Christ; the infant Christ takes one from her. His nakedness emphasises his humanity. In the past t ...

This small 13th-century panel painting shows the Virgin & Child embracing, a common motif in Byzantine & early Italian art. The inscription on the background is MP OY which stands for 'MHTHP OEOY'
- ' Mother of God' in Greek. Sadly, the painting was stolen from the Gallery in 1970. In the Middle Ages, the Virgin was worshipped almost as fervently as Christ himself. She was seen as the Saint most ready to intercede on behalf of a repentant individual, & to beg forgiveness for their sins. Paintings on panel, such as this one, became increasingly popular in the 13th century as objects of private contemplation. Some were given the status of icons
- the objects themselves, not merely the subjects they depicted, were believed to have religious importance. Sculptures & paintings were occasionally reported to perform miracles (such as a statue of Mary that wept tears of blood). This panel is thought to have been one half of a diptych
- one of a pair of paintings hinged together that could be folded shut like a book. They were often decorated on the outside, & this panel is painted with a cross, ornamented with triangles & circles on the back. The other half of the diptych is thought to be a painting of Christ on the Cross.


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The painting, as hung in the gallery, is a small-scale representation of the monumental versions of the Maestà which Cimabue painted on panel for Santa Trinita, Florence & S. Francesco, Pisa. Although Italian artists were still influenced by the formal style of Byzantine painting, Cimabue's composition attempts to indicate three-dimensional space by placing the wooden throne at an angle. The Christ Child clings to his mother's hand like a small baby, instead of raising his hand in the gesture of blessing usually seen in Byzantine art. This exquisite & extremely rare panel is the only work by Cimabue in Great Britain & one of only two surviving small-scale paintings by the artist. It almost certainly formed part of a diptych, probably showing several scenes from the Passion of Christ, which included the Flagellation in the Frick Collection, New York. The other scenes, probably six, are lost. ...

The lavish use of mordant gilding is characteristic of Bergognone, in whose work the mordant (the adhesive to which the gold leaf is attached) is applied in thick relief. The painting is likely to be an early work influenced by Vincenzo Foppa, then one of the most esteemed painters in Lombardy. Bernardino was the chief assistant to his brother Ambrogio Bergognone, one of the leading artists in Milan when Leonardo arrived there in 1482. ...

This is usually accepted as a late work by Liberale da Verona, made after his definitive return to his native city in 1492 thereabouts. A work made for private devotion, it probably dates from the first decades of the 16th century. The slightly open mouth ...

This painting & ' The Donor & Saint Mary Magdalene' were originally the wings of an altarpiece. Here the Virgin is supported by Saint John the Evangelist. The focus of her anguish was presumably the figure of Christ in the lost central panel of the alt ...

The painting shows Mary appearing to receive rays emanating from the Holy Spirit (in the form of a Dove) as she receives the news from the Angel Gabriel that she will give birth to the Son of God (Luke 1: 26-38). This work is probably one of a pair of pan ...

These panels are the sawn-off outsides of the wings of ' The Crucifixion'. The costume indicates a date of around 1525-30 or a little later. ...

Inscribed identifying the saints: (left wing, left to right) 1/. S. BER[NARDUS] (Saint Bernard) 2/. S. SCOLASTICA 3/ B. (Saint Benedict) 4/. ECCE. AGNVS. DEI. QVI TO (LLIT PECC)A (TA MUNDI) (Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin [of the World]); (ri ...

Create your own bespoke print of Sassoferrato’s The Virgin in Prayer from our collection. About this painting The Virgin in Prayer, 1640-50 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1846 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...