Madonna and Child in a Landscape

Notes from the Curator:
Cima da Conegliano ranks among the most important painters of the Renaissance in Venice. A painter of religious subjects, notably of numerous representations of the Madonna and Child, Cima occupies a key position between the influential Bellini family and the world of Giorgione and Titian. Following the example of both Jacopo and Giovanni Bellini, Cima painted moving images of the Madonna and Child in compositions remarkable for their hieratic presence. Departing from the paintings of the Bellini and their workshop, which were based on Byzantine models, Cima's compositions are full of life and naturalism evidenced in the poetic landscapes he uses as backgrounds. A sublime example of the artist's production in the last decade of the 15th century, the painting shows the Mother watching carefully over the Child precariously balanced over her lap. In the background, a small hill town may be the painter's own hometown of Conegliano, and to the left are featured scenes from the life of Mary including the Flight into Egypt, and the Visitation. Works by Cima - a painter well represented in all major museums - are extremely rare to find. The rediscovery of this painting, hidden for many years in a private German collection was hailed as a major event in the art world. [source]