Madonna enthroned with the sleeping child and four saints

Ercole de' Roberti created this work around 1480 during the Early Renaissance period. The painting reflects the artistic traditions of its time and place, contributing to the rich tapestry of European painting that characterized the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries The Madonna and Child was the most ubiquitous devotional subject of medieval and Renaissance art, present in every church and many private homes as a focus for prayer and spiritual contemplation.

Tempera and oil on panel demonstrating the techniques characteristic of Early Renaissance painting. The work shows competent handling of its subject matter within established artistic conventions.