The Madonna of Humility, the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Pietà
A Venetian altarpiece in a spired gilded frame, combining the Madonna and Child, Annunciation, Nativity and Pietà: Bartolomeo Vivarini, ca. 1465. Full commentary ↓
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The Madonna of Humility, the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Pietà is a tempera and gold painting by Bartolomeo Vivarini (ca. 1465) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 58.4 × 45.7 cm.
In the pictureFive scenes sit within a gilded frame with several pointed spires. In the large central compartment, the Madonna and Child sit on the ground before a rose hedge; at upper and lower left are the angel of the Annunciation and the Nativity, and at upper and lower right the Virgin of the Annunciation and the Pietà. The frame appears to be original.
BackgroundThe "Madonna of Humility" is a type that shows Mary seated on the ground rather than on a throne, and it spread widely in the 14th and 15th centuries. Bartolomeo Vivarini came from a family of painters on the island of Murano in Venice, and his work is marked by hard outlines and lavish gilded frames. This altarpiece probably stood on the altar of a small church or a private chapel.
Puzzle tipThe frame pieces, with their many spires and arches, form the framework. Use the gold frame pieces to lay out the outer edge and the division into compartments first, then fill the central Madonna and Child and the four corner scenes by color. With so many elements, it can be enjoyed at up to 300 pieces.
- Artist
- Italian, active Venice 1450–91
- Classification
- Paintings
- Medium
- Tempera and gold on wood
- Dimensions
- 58.4 x 45.7 cm
- Credit line
- Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
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Stories about this work
- Vivarini's Five-Scene Altarpiece, Still Whole in Its Frame
Even when large altarpieces were sold off piece by piece, some survived intact. Vivarini's small altar holds the Madonna, Annunciation, Nativity and Pietà in a pinnacled frame.
- From the Annunciation to the Adoration of the Shepherds: 10 Masterpiece Puzzles for Christmas
Ten masterpiece puzzles tied to the Christmas story, arranged in the order of the story, with the actual piece counts and which difficulty suits each.
- Why Are There So Many Madonna and Child Paintings? Painting the Same Scene for Centuries
This site alone has 12 paintings of the Madonna and Child. Why the same scene was repeated for centuries, and how to find the differences within it.
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