NARRATOR:
Paolo Veneziano was one of the most influential artists in 14th-century Venice. He masterfully blended Venetian and Byzantine influences, betraying the strong political and economic ties between the two great merchant cities, Venice and Constantinople.
In this Madonna and Child of 1340, luxuriant colors and textures predominate. The crowned Virgin is seen in all her majesty, seated on a monumental throne and dressed in richly embroidered garments. She looks out at us almost shyly, her head tilted affectionately toward her child. Christ, in turn, gazes intently at his mother, holding a palm branch that foreshadows his entry into Jerusalem and subsequent death. He reaches for the goldfinch perched on Mary’s hand, a Christian symbol that signifies the suffering of Christ.
In this picture, color and pattern vie for attention, creating an intricate tapestry of line and form. The loving interaction between mother and child reveals the budding naturalism of 14th-century Italian art, setting the panel apart from the stern formality of a Byzantine icon.
Paolo Veneziano was an extremely influential painter in his day. He worked alongside his three sons and also ran a flourishing workshop. For this altarpiece, he collaborated with a carpenter, who carved the panel and the frame from a single piece of wood. The frame’s decorative laurel pattern and spiraling columns enhance the ornate effect of Paolo’s imagery.
Madonna and Child
c. 1345
Paolo Veneziano (Italian, c. 1295 - c. 1362)
On View
Paolo Veneziano's Madonna and Child marries the Venetian aesthetic—based on color and its unifying, descriptive aspect—with the reserved, hieratic Byzantine style. The Christ Child, looking closely at His mother, holds a palm branch, symbolizing His future entry into Jerusalem and subsequent death. The goldfinch, perched on the Madonna’s hand, is a bird associated with thorns and thistles and so is a further allusion to the Passion of Christ. The artist has woven these solemn reminders of Christ’s sacrifice into a visually rich web of color and line.
Details
- Artist Name: Paolo Veneziano (Italian, c. 1295 - c. 1362)
- Title: Madonna and Child
- Date: c. 1345
- Medium: Tempera and gold leaf on panel
- Dimensions: 43-5/8 x 24-3/8 in. (110.8 x 61.9 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1973.24.P
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
Baron Constantine Mexis, Vienna and Cologne.
[Knoedler’s, London, jointly owned with Pinakos, Inc., New York, Stock A-7997, 1961; Knoedlers half sold back to Pinakos 11 June 1963].
Major Alfred E. Allnatt (d. 1969) by 1963 (sale, London, Sotheby’s, 6 December 1972, lot 35, ill., as The Madonna and Child Enthroned, to);
[Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London; sold 1973 to];
The Norton Simon Foundation.
[Knoedler’s, London, jointly owned with Pinakos, Inc., New York, Stock A-7997, 1961; Knoedlers half sold back to Pinakos 11 June 1963].
Major Alfred E. Allnatt (d. 1969) by 1963 (sale, London, Sotheby’s, 6 December 1972, lot 35, ill., as The Madonna and Child Enthroned, to);
[Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London; sold 1973 to];
The Norton Simon Foundation.
[on loan]
- The National Gallery, London, 1963 to 1970
Paolo Veneziano: Art and Devotion in 14th-Century Venice
- J. Paul Getty Museum, 2021-07-13 to 2021-10-03
- Palluchini, Rodolfo, La Pittura Veneziana del Trecento, fig. 116 p. 41
- Muraro, Michelangelo, Paolo da Venezia, 1970, fig. 2 pp. 36, 112
- Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, 1989, p. 12
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 977 p. 358
- Renato Miracco, Italian Treasures in the U.S. An Itinerary of Art, 2014, p. #40
- Llewellyn, Laura, Paolo Veneziano: Art and Devotion in 14th-Century Venice, 2021, cat. 10 p. 20, p. 84, 86, p. 128 ; p. 129 (ill.)
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