Virgin and the Child

This image of the Virgin Mary has her head uncovered, with the hair framing the face in two rolls and then falling forward, the tresses barely defined. It differs from other images not only because of the elaborate plinth, but also because she holds in her left arm the Infant Jesus, depicted here as the Saviour of the World. Other small details of the clothing also differ, such as the waistband that causes the material at her breast and her skirt to fall in a different way. The band confers a symmetrical treatment to the draperies and relates this image to earlier 15th and 16th century treatment of the Virgin and the saints. The black paint added to the hair and eyebrows of the Virgin and Child, as well as the recent gilding, do not spoil this image, whose smiling countenance brings her close to her devotees.