Madonna and Child
Barna da Siena, Madonna and Child, 1350, tempera on wood, Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, public domain, 61.35
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- Title
Madonna and Child
- Artist
- Date
1350
- Period
Early Renaissance (mid-14th-mid-15th century)
- Medium
tempera on wood
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
28 5/16 in x 16 1/2 in
- Collection Area
European Art
- Category
Paintings
- Object Type
painting
- Culture
Italian
- Credit Line
Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation
- Accession Number
61.35
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
- Place Made
Created in: Siena
Early Renaissance paintings such as this Madonna and Child often have a greenish cast in the flesh tones, where the original base color shows through. Artists discovered that in egg tempera (a mixture of pigment and egg yolk), base tones of pink or cream created chalky, lifeless effects. However, if they used the complementary color, green, and applied pink tones over the green base, the result was a warm, lifelike flesh color. Often an artist allowed some of the green tone to show at the edges of shadows to create modeling. In some cases the undercoat has become more evident with age and the application of varnish, which makes the top layer of paint more transparent.
