Description
This image of Madonna with the Christ Child on her lap has been extensively altered by restoration. During the Renaissance, it was important that the Christ Child's genitalia be exposed, for it declared that Christ is the humanization of God, that he experienced temptation, and that in his exposure, he was without shame. When it was repainted, a cloth was added to the image to cover the Christ Child's genitalia. In 1941 the removal of old overpaint returned the painting more closely to its original state.
Provenance
James Jackson Jarves, sold to Mrs. Liberty E. Holden, 1884;; Mrs. Liberty E. Holden (Cleveland, Ohio), by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1916.
Accession Number
1916.813
Medium
oil on wood
Dimensions
Framed: 87 x 72 x 5.5 cm (34 1/4 x 28 3/8 x 2 3/16 in.); Unframed: 59.5 x 43.9 cm (23 7/16 x 17 5/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Holden Collection