Nursing Virgin and Child
Bernardino Luini·c. 1507
Historical Context
Nursing Virgin and Child from around 1507 by Luini at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an early work showing the artist developing his mature devotional style. The intimate subject of the nursing Madonna reflects the tenderness and domestic warmth that would characterize Luini's religious art throughout his career. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays Leonardesque sfumato and gentle modeling, serene Madonna types with downcast eyes, soft transitions of light and shade, lyrical landscape backgrounds.
Technical Analysis
The intimate maternal subject is rendered with soft, gentle modeling and warm coloring, the tender interaction between mother and child painted with the Leonardesque sfumato that defines Luini's approach.
