This painting reflects the influence of Giovanni Bellini, by whom Montagna was probably trained. The sombre colours (now darker than was intended), the severe geometry of the setting, & the sharp definition of the drapery are typical of his work. ...

The kneeling figure has in the past been identified as Saint Catherine of Siena or Saint Agnes, but is more likely to be a donatrix. It has previously been catalogued as Flemish, & is somewhat reminiscent of the style of Patinir. ...

The donor wears the black habit of a Benedictine monk. The head is on a piece of wood inserted & painted in the 19th century (original fragment in Landesmuseum, Munster). The painting is an early example of the Rosary Madonna type. It is the central pane ...

The Christ Child holds a pomegranate, a traditional symbol of the Passion, & is showing some of its seeds to his mother, the Virgin Mary. The picture has been extensively retouched, & has been cut at the bottom & on the right-hand side. ...

The Virgin bends a branch (probably & olive branch symbolic of peace) towards Jesus who touches one of its leaves. Similar in style to a painting of 1510 once in Dresden, this Virgin & Child was perhaps painted in Bergamo before the painter's style wa ...

The unidentified donor kneels on the right of the Virgin & Child. He is accompanied by Saint George, the legendary third-century Cappadocian knight who rescued a princess by slaying a dragon, here shown at his feet. This is a small altarpiece, probably f ...

Cherries are offered to the infant Christ in a golden chalice, which is a reminder of Francia's own work as a goldsmith
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The figure composition is taken from a painting by Filippo Lippi (Florence, Uffizi) & much of the detail (the elaborate veiled headdress of the Virgin & the curls of the infant Christ) is painted in his style. There are also affinities, especially in ...

The Christ Child, held by the Virgin, reaches out to an angel who worships him. The very poor condition of this picture makes attribution impossible; however, it is now clear that it is not a fake as previously believed & probably dates from the 15th ce ...

This altarpiece comes from a chapel in the Certosa di Pavia, a Carthusian monastery near Milan. The central Virgin & Child are flanked by the Archangel Saint Michael on the left, standing on Satan. Raphael & the young Tobias are on the right. The Virgin's robe is ultramarine of exceptional quality. The church was consecrated in May 1497. In 1499 Ludovico il Moro, ruler of Milan & the Certosa's most important supporter, applied pressure to get it completed. The Certosa had a large number of chapels. The original altarpiece had an upper tier with God the Father flanked by the Virgin Annunciate & the Archangel Gabriel. The two top side-panels were supplied by another Florentine artist, Albertinelli, after Perugino had failed to paint them. Originally these three panels formed the lower tier of a six-panel altarpiece. They have been cut down at the bottom. Central panel 113.7 x 63.8 cm; wings each approx. 113 x 56 cm. ...