The Virgin and Child

This panel-relief is made by Michele da Firenze in the first half of the 15th century in Florence.

Images of the Virgin and Child were found in virtually every noble household in 15th-century Florence. They acted as a focus for personal devotion and were thought to protect the family from harm. They were believed to have talismatic and protective properties. Some compositions, particularly those associated with miracle-working images, became very popular and were widely reproduced.