Madonna and Child

The gold leaf and decorative punches in this painting were common in the late medieval era and would have been considered old-fashioned when Borgognone made it. Patrons sometimes instructed painters to imitate much older works. In this case, the model may have been a family heirloom that had become damaged. The naturalistic appearance of the Christ Child and the illusionistic (or very realistic) ledge in the foreground clearly distinguish it as the work of a Renaissance artist.