Madonna of Humilitylate 1370s · Study 1963.500

Context from the museum

The Madonna is shown seated on the ground as she nurses the infant Christ in a style of depiction called the "Madonna (or Virgin) of Humility." This type of image shows Mary’s humility, or humilitas in Latin, sitting on the earth just with a cushion in contrast to her usual depiction with a throne. The virtue of humility was propagated especially by St. Francis of Assisi and found its way into painting since the 1350s in the wake of the Black Death.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

This panel used to be part of a larger altarpiece; it was cut down and reframed some time in the 1800s.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Madonna of Humility is 54.6 cm wide and 79.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 21.5 × 31.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.69:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.43 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 18.2% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 122.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Madonna of Humility in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, tempera and gold on wood panel, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 54.6 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?