Madonna with Child and fruit

Formerly known as the Master of the Death of the Virgin, Joos van Cleve is an important representative of the Antwerp school. He distinguishes himself from other contemporaneous masters by his numerous trips, especially those made in Italy. In this way he had the chance to know Leonardo da Vinci, at least artistically so. In fact, he was strongly influenced by Italian painting, as evidenced by this work in which the Virgin's face is evidently modeled on da Vinci’s examples. On the other hand, in the Prague National Gallery there is a painting that refers to the theme of the so-called Monna Vanna, or smiling woman such as the Mona Lisa, with a bare chest, reinterpreted in the appearance of a courtesan. In the group that appears here, the effort to adapt to the first Italian Mannerist style is particularly noteworthy, even if the glossy colors and the strained chiaroscuro testify to the artist's Nordic origins. The iconography of the fruit is interesting, in particular the cherries held by the child Jesus, symbols of the passion, and the apple lying nearby, which evidently evokes original sin.