Madonna and Child with Two Donors  1533

Framed by richly draped fabric, the Virgin Mary tenderly sits Christ on her lap. The couple who commissioned the panel look up at the child, meeting his eyes as he rewards their piety with a blessing. As the symbol of Christ's resurrection, the fig branch growing behind the curtain also reassures the donors of their own redemption. [br] In the late 1400s, well-to-do fami...