The Adoration of the Child
Artist: Piero di Cosimo (Italian (Florence), 1462-1521)
Date: about 1495-1500
Dimensions:
diam: 63 in. (160 cm)
Medium: oil on wood panel
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1937.1
Label Text:Closely observed details of nature often carry symbolic meaning in this painting of the Virgin Mary worshiping the Christ Child while her husband Joseph dozes in the background. The barren tree stump, for example, and the tomb-like pile of rock allude to Jesus’ death. The lilies and daisies symbolize Mary’s purity. Look for the tadpoles, symbols of Jesus’ resurrection because they represent both new life and transformation (“fish” into frog).
A contemporary of fellow Florentines Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo, Piero di Cosimo painted many of these tondo paintings (from Italian for “round”). The format probably developed from round, painted trays used to present gifts to new mothers. Used almost exclusively for the home, tondi were usually displayed in bedchambers and frequently showed the Virgin and Child as role models for pious domestic behavior. It is believed that a member of the powerful Medici family of Florence gave this particularly large and splendid example to a woman of the Guiducci family.
A contemporary of fellow Florentines Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo, Piero di Cosimo painted many of these tondo paintings (from Italian for “round”). The format probably developed from round, painted trays used to present gifts to new mothers. Used almost exclusively for the home, tondi were usually displayed in bedchambers and frequently showed the Virgin and Child as role models for pious domestic behavior. It is believed that a member of the powerful Medici family of Florence gave this particularly large and splendid example to a woman of the Guiducci family.
On view
In Collection(s)