Traditionally it was the custom for centuries to have large religious pieces for devotion executed by groups of artists under the direction of a "Master" who was almost always unnamed. It could be characterized as popular art in a sense, long before modern technology. Often rich patrons would commission these paintings as well, in connection with a particular devotion or Saint or title of Our Lady.

The "Master" of this portrait of Our Lady and the Christ Child chose a typically rich landscape used in both Northern Euorpean Gothic and Baroque painting. Technically this image belongs to the Renaissance period, but displays elements of the Gothic because of the detail in the structures, and the Baroque, in the detail of ornamentation. Whoever the Master was he was known by two names, that of Antwerp and also by the longer title, Master of the Female Half-Figure. Another such "Master" who was also known by his own name was Jean Hey, whose Virgin of the Apocalypse appears in this gallery.

We could have reduced the size of the image without distorting the features of the Madonna and Child but the landscape details would have been badly diminished, so we elected to retain quality over download time. This painting is just too beautiful not to present it in its full glory. In addition one can almost reach for a grape along with Christ, except one would not dare to presume to disturb this lovely scene prefiguring Heaven.
 





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