Virgin Enthroned

This is a late work by the Flemish painter Quentin Massys (c.1466–1530), and one of the finest examples of a recurring theme in his oeuvre, the Virgin enthroned.

The Virgin is shown full-length and nearly life-size. She sits on a throne of stone decorated with polished pillars of red marble.

The motif of the kiss, which lends a sense of intimacy to the picture, traces back to a work from the circle of Leonardo da Vinci.

The handling of the faces, with the virtually imperceptible transitions from light to shadow, also attest to Massys’s intimate knowledge of Leonardo’s art.

The landscape visible behind the figures shows the influence of Joachim Patinir, a renowned landscape artist for whom Massey sometimes painted figures.

The enclosed garden with its fountain and hedge of roses hints at the deeper meaning of the picture:

It recalls the image from the Song of Solomon of the hortus conclusus – an enclosed garden that symbolises the virginity and purity of the Blessed Mother.

The still life of perishable foods in the foreground bears a symbolic meaning as well. Bread and wine allude to the sacrifice of Christ, and to his continual renewal in the rites of the Holy Mass.

The glistening red cherries anticipate the blood that will be spilled at the Crucifixion.

As is typical in Massys’s work, the traditions of 15th century Netherlandish art and those of the Italian High Renaissance are melded here in harmonious unity.

Thomas More, the great statesman and humanist, once described Massys as the reviver of older art. His praise indicates the artist’s special place in the transition to a new era.