La Vierge

The Master of the Pala Sforzesca created this image of the Virgin around 1494 in Milan. The master's Leonardesque style reflects the dominant artistic influence in Milan during Ludovico Sforza's rule. His devotional images of the Virgin were designed for private worship among the Milanese elite. The tempera-on-panel medium required a carefully gessoed surface and was painted in fine, precise layers, yielding a luminous, jewel-like surface of great durability.

Oil on panel with the sfumato technique and dark backgrounds characteristic of Leonardesque Milanese painting. The Virgin's features show the gentle idealization typical of the master's devotional works.