Domenic Ghirlandaio Madonna And Child Analysis

Domenic Ghirlandaio’s Madonna and Child of 1470-75 is a tempera half-length portrait that shared characteristics of paintings commonly displayed in Florentine homes. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary calmly glancing in a downward direction towards her young son, Jesus Christ, who is sitting on her right knee as he uses his head and arm to gesture in an outwards direction. While the Madonna and Child was a central icon in European history, Ghirlandaio’s portrayal nods to both the secular and humanistic forces of the Renaissance. The painting presents the subject matter in two distinct realms: the spiritual world and life on Earth. On one hand, the portrait is an object of prayer that encourages the viewer to possess a strong connection with God. However, Ghirlandaio also creates an image that highlights intimate familial relations and the similarities between biblical figures and the human condition. …show more content…
The flat, gold background contrasts other concurrent secular paintings located on Earth, which immediately shows viewers that their humanity limits them from accessing Mary and Jesus. Furthermore, the portrait 's background highlights that Mary 's semi-divine status puts her in a liminal space. On one hand, Mary is a human just like the viewer; but, on the other hand, her purity and allegorical status make her un-relatable. Furthermore, Mary 's status is superior to the viewer 's. The ambiguous tone of Mary 's liminal space emphasizes that although mortals will be able to recognize Mary and Jesus’s superior status, they cannot understand the complete nature of the divine. Furthermore, the sense of liminality in the painting creates a sense of doubt that encourages the viewer to trust God and submit to his faithful guidance. In addition, the contrast between the gold, flat Byzantine background and life-like qualities of Mary and Jesus further emphasize the figures '