Madonna and Child
Pier Francesco Fiorentino·c. 1475
Historical Context
Pier Francesco Fiorentino was a prolific Florentine painter who produced numerous devotional Madonna and Child panels for the domestic market in the late fifteenth century. These paintings, found in nearly every Florentine household, served as the primary focus of daily private prayer. The enormous demand for such works sustained numerous workshops producing devotional images in the tradition of Fra Filippo Lippi.
Technical Analysis
The tempera on panel transferred to canvas demonstrates the standard Florentine workshop technique for devotional production. The gentle modeling of the Madonna's face and the decorative treatment follow established formulas that ensured consistent quality across multiple commissions.
Provenance
Arnaldo Corsi, Florence.[1] possibly Icilio Federico Joni [1866-1946], Siena;[2] sold 1912 to (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York), as by Baldovinetti;[3] sold to William Salomon [1852-1919], New York; by inheritance to Mrs. William Salomon, New York; sold 1923 to (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); Clarence H. Mackay, Roslyn [1874-1938], New York, by 1924 until at least 1926; (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York), probably from Mackay; sold 1936 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[4] gift 1939 to NGA. [1] According to W.R. Valentiner, _The Clarence H. Mackay Collection. Italian Schools_, New York, 1976: no. 2. [2] According to Colin Simpson, _Artful Partners: Bernard Berenson and Joseph Duveen_, New York, 1986:184. [3] According to the list of expenses for the painting in the X Book, Reel 422, Duveen Brothers Records, accession number 960015, Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (copy in NGA curatorial files). [4] See also The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/1324.
See It In Person
More by Pier Francesco Fiorentino
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Maria with the Child in front of a Rose Hedge
Pier Francesco Fiorentino·1450
La Vierge et l'Enfant avec quatre saints
Pier Francesco Fiorentino·1490
La Vierge, l'Enfant et un ange
Pier Francesco Fiorentino·1500
Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist and Angels
Pier Francesco Fiorentino·1460
