Virgin and Child with music-making angels

Dyck, Anthony van (1599-1641)

Item type:

painting

Date of creation:

ca. 1630

Height:

163.6 cm  (64 7/16 in.)

Width:

135.9 cm  (53 1/2 in.)

framed: 186.06 × 160.66 cm (73 1/4 × 63 1/4 in.)

Technique / Medium:

oil on canvas

School:

Dutch golden age

Description

This painting presents the Virgin, in blue, half-length within clouds and light; the Christ-child, lightly draped in white, leans against her right shoulder, with his right foot on a globe. On the left of the painting is an angel playing a lute; on the right, an angel with a violin or viola (bow partially visible).

People as subjects

St. Mary (Blessed Virgin) (Non-musician/dancer)
Jesus Christ (Non-musician/dancer)

Iconclass

11FF4122
Mary standing (or half-length), the Christ-child sitting on her arm (Christ-child to Mary's left) - FF - the Christ child to Mary's right
11F5
Madonna (i.e. Mary with the Christ-child) in the air, or on the clouds
11G21
angels singing, making music

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Lute [3394] (pegs for 8 courses of strings)
Violin [3573] (proportions of the instrument's neck and head to the angel player also suggest viola)

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

RIdIM record id

6077