The Virgin and Child enthroned

This enthroned Virgin and Child from 1495, now in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, belongs to Costa's most productive years under the Bentivoglio in Bologna. The sacra conversazione format — a serene gathering of holy figures around the Madonna — had become the dominant altarpiece type across northern Italy, and Costa's version reflects the stylistic synthesis he forged between Ferrarese courtly refinement and Bolognese monumental gravity. The architectural throne echoes the classicising taste spreading from Mantua and Ferrara into Emilia-Romagna during the 1490s, signalling sophisticated patronage rather than conservative piety.

The architectural throne provides a stable geometric anchor while soft modelling of the Madonna's robes creates gentle volumetric depth. Costa's smooth, luminous flesh tones and crisp drapery folds are characteristic of his mature handling.