Master of the Castello Nativity - Madonna and Child - Walters 371163

The Virgin Mary, dressed in blue as Queen of Heaven, holds the Christ Child. The infant Jesus is naked to remind us of the miracle of the Incarnation (that God has become flesh and blood). The subject allowed the artist to display his skill in depicting the body naturalistically. The emphasis on regular, three-dimensional shapes revealing knowledge of geometry was characteristic of Florentine painting of this period, as can also be seen in the works of Filippo Lippi. The frame was almost certainly made in the 19th century.
For more information on this panel, please see Zeri catalogue number 45, pp. 74-75.