Madonna and Child with Angels, 1457-1465, 95x62 cm, Uf Fra Filippo Lippi
Fra Filippo Lippi – Madonna and Child with Angels, 1457-1465, 95x62 cm, Uf
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The Madonna and Child was a common theme of the painter. This scene was interpreted in different ways by Renaissance artists. Before us is one of Lippi’s finest creations. We see a very young Mary. She is depicted in a soft armchair by a window. Christ is gently supported by angels, while he stretches out his arms to his mother One of the touching angels looks directly at us. He seems to be inviting us to participate in this scene.
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Description of Lippi Filippo’s Madonna with Child and Angels
The Madonna and Child was a common theme of the painter. This scene was interpreted in different ways by Renaissance artists. Before us is one of Lippi’s finest creations.
We see a very young Mary. She is depicted in a soft armchair by a window. Christ is gently supported by angels, while he stretches out his arms to his mother One of the touching angels looks directly at us.
He seems to be inviting us to participate in this scene. This impression is also created by the fact that the painter depicts him at the side of the window. Mary and the infant Christ are situated inside the opening of the window, which is at the same time the traditional frame of this masterpiece.
Other artists have also resorted to such double framing. It was a kind of hint that the heroes of the painting are separated from reality not just by the picture frame. The border is much more complex. It emphasizes the extraterrestrial origin of the characters.
We look at Lippi’s creation, and the usual notion of a plane of two-dimensional character disappears in our imagination. We have an overwhelming sense of the existence of several plans of space. The landscape that appears in the window is a vivid collective image of the whole earth.
Lippi masterfully depicts the vast expanses opening out of the window. The Renaissance viewer usually associated it with the special space of the traditional temple. At that time, it could not at all be compared with the world that opened beyond the walls of the church. Everything outside the window also represents a special religious significance. It is the true holy of holies. And this is no coincidence.
In this creation by Lippi one senses a certain weakening of the religious element. Madonna is portrayed absolutely as an ordinary earthly woman. Her image the artist paints with very warm colors. Models for this painting the artist wrote from life. The painter manages to bring a breath of secular family spirit to the religious subject.
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Here we see the woman adorned in an elaborate headdress and draped in rich fabrics of deep teal hue. Her hands are pressed together in a gesture that suggests prayer or supplication. The child in her lap appears to be offering something – perhaps food or a symbolic object – towards the viewer, his expression one of gentle generosity. One angel stands close to the mother and child, with arms raised as if participating in their interaction. The other angel is positioned slightly further away, observing the scene with an air of reverence.
The landscape behind them is notable for its clarity and precision. Distant mountains are rendered in a pale blue-grey, creating a sense of depth and vastness. A small town or settlement is visible nestled at the foot of these mountains, adding to the overall feeling of serenity and order. The light source appears to be coming from the left, illuminating the figures’ faces and highlighting the textures of their garments.
Subtexts within this work seem to revolve around themes of maternal devotion, divine grace, and celestial harmony. The womans posture and expression convey a sense of profound tenderness and spiritual connection. The child’s offering suggests a gesture of sharing and abundance. The presence of the angels reinforces the notion of divine intervention and protection.
The meticulous rendering of details – the folds in the fabric, the individual strands of hair, the precise depiction of the landscape – suggests an emphasis on realism and a desire to capture the beauty and perfection of the subject matter. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation and spiritual upliftment.