Virgin and Child with Angels1405 · Study 1977.145

Context from the museum

This central panel from an altarpiece shows the Madonna seated on a throne with the infant Christ, surrounded by kneeling angels and six-winged seraphim. Below is an image of the dead Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John. Above the arch is the Blessing Christ after his ascent into heaven and two more angels who gaze down on the main scene. Together these images extol the role of the Madonna in the redemption of humankind. Spinello Aretino was a painter of devotional panels, altarpieces, and frescos. His most important commissions were painted in Arezzo, Lucca, Florence, Pisa, and Siena. His concern for space and the powerful outlines of his figures reflect a greater understanding of the principles developed by Giotto and his contemporaries, yet his keen sense of decoration reveals an equal awareness of Sienese painting.

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

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Virgin and Child with Angels is 70.7 cm wide and 156.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 27.8 × 61.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.45:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.11 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 23.6% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 114.7 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 Virgin and Child with Angels 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 70.7 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?