Virgin and Child with Saintsc. 1230s · Study 1966.237

Context from the museum

This small altarpiece, intended for a domestic interior or private chapel, consists of three panels, allowing it to be folded and easily transported. Surrounding the Virgin and Child in the center are various saints. On the left is Saint Andrew crucified, with St. Francis and St. Paul below; on the right, Christ with the instruments of the Passion, and St. Stephen and St. Lawrence below. The long expressive lines that define the clothing and hands of the figures are typical of Byzantine painting, which spread from Constantinople to Italy in the Middle Ages. Berlinghiero is one of the earliest Italian painters known by name. He lived in Lucca, the most important artistic center in Tuscany before the rise of Siena and Florence. Berlinghiero headed a large, influential workshop that included his sons.

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

A detail to notice

This tabernacle was recognized as being by Berlinghiero while in the the collection of Adolphe Stoclet, a wealthy Belgian engineer and collector.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Virgin and Child with Saints is 51.5 cm wide and 42.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 20.3 × 16.8 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.21:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.22 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 17.2% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 124.3 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 Saints in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, triptych (tabernacle); tempera and gold on poplar panel, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 51.5 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?