Virgin and Child

This Virgin and Child is one of a number of terracotta reliefs traditionally associated with the style of the Florentine goldsmith and sculptor, Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455), and was probably produced in a Florentine workshop active in his circle.

Ghiberti (1378-1455) was a the most celebrated bronze-caster and goldsmith, sculptor, draughtsman, architect and writer in early 15th-century Florence. His diverse and wide-ranging activities make him the first great representative of the polymath artist of the Renaissance.

Young women often prayed to the Virgin Mary to ask for assistance during childbirth, and so reliefs of the Madonna embracing her son were a common feature of Italian Renaissance bedchambers. In this example, the voluminous folds of the Madonna's robe, wrapped around Christ's body, emphasise her motherly tenderness and love.