Analysis of Virgin and Child with Lilies by Luca Della Robbia

Yun Zhang Renaissance Art in Context Dec.13th. 2012 FA231 Professor Stephanie Leone Virgin and child with lilies Italian (Florence)†¨about 1460–70 Luca della Robbia †¨ Overall: 48 x 38cm (18 7/8 x 14 15/16in.) Glazed terracotta †¨ Classification: Sculpture†¨ Type: Relief†¨ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Virgin and child with lilies Italian (Florence)†¨about 1460–70 Luca della Robbia †¨ Overall: 48 x 38cm (18 7/8 x 14 15/16in.) Glazed terracotta †¨ Classification: Sculpture†¨ Type: Relief†¨ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston In this artwork attributed to Luca della Robbia made in 1460-70, Virgin and Child with lilies depicts Mary as the mother of God, instead of the queen in heaven, and emphasized the maternal†¦show more content†¦In this relief, we see it as Christ the child shares the viewer his joy of starting his new adventure as well as praising the purity of Virgin Mary. There are also three angels emerging from the cloud. In the Old Testament, angel’s functions refer to convey God’s will to mankind, which in this relief the angels reminds us of their role as â€Å"annunciators (ABRAHAM, 2: The three angels). They were the ones who carried messages from god and annunciated the birth of Christ. They are the witnesses of Christ the child coming to the human world as well as proof of Virgin Mary’s virtue of immaculate. In this relief, they are the guardian of the Virgin and child as well as admirers of Mary’s pure and virgin status. With their hands holding togeth er in prayer, they show their blessings and caring to the mother and son as well as to the human world. In addition, unlike other Virgin Mary we see in churches’ altarpieces that are usually seated on throne, we also have Mary sitting humbly on the ground in this relief. According to Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, there is a popular theme of â€Å"Madonna of Humility† which its essential figure is that the Virgin is seated on the ground. The dictionary also states that artists set Virgin Mary on the ground to convey a medieval theology,