The Madonna with Child (known as Madonna of the book)

In this intense little masterpiece by Vincenzo Foppa, made for private devotion, the figures of the Virgin and Child, by illusion, appear to be looking out of the gilded frame.
The plastic solidity of the figures and the perspective structure seem to be inspired by a sculptural model, while the soft chiaroscuro of the faces reveals Vincenzo Foppa's knowledge of Flemish art, which would influence his pictorial language especially between the 1470s and 1480s.
The embossed drapery of the Virgin, the coral cord and the background open to the blue sky suggest a date prior to 1475 and reveal a strong adherence to the expressive language of Ferrara of the time.