Madonna and Child

Madonna and Child, among the most important art subjects of Christian religion. The Virgin Mary and child Jesus were first accepted as symbols of Christian faith following the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431. The earliest Madonna and Child paintings were found in early Christian catacombs; styles developed and transformed through the Byzantine and Renaissance periods. There are 5 general styles of treatment of Madonna paintings: portrait, the Madonna enthroned, in glory (hovering in the sky with halo and attendants), in pastoral scenes, and in a home environment. Raphael's Sistine Madonna (1515) hangs in the Dresden Gallery in Germany. Other painters who depicted the Madonna and Child include Luca Della Robbia, Giovanni Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Fra Filippo Lippi, Andrea del Sarto, and Titian.

See also: Christianity.