Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

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Title: St. Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child/St. Luke Madonna
Creator: Rogier van der Weyden, painter
Description: The Evangelist Luke composes a silverpoint drawing of the Virgin nursing the Christ Child. The Virgo lactans sits on the step of a throne, an action that emphasizes her humility, yet the sun illuminates the gold-embroidered tapestry behind the Virgin’s head. With the throne, the halo-like effect alludes to her role as Queen of Heaven. A small scene of the Fall of Humanity is carved on the throne’s armrest, suggesting that Mary and Christ are the new Adam and Eve who herald the world’s redemption. An open book, likely opened to the Gospel of Luke, sits on a stand with an ox (Luke’s symbol) at its base. This devout subject matter is depicted as occurring within a fifteenth-century space. In the background is an enclosed garden. Two people look over a wall at the river with their backs to the viewer. The holy figures’ lack of haloes is a humanizing touch. These realistic touches of domestic life would have assisted the viewer in his or her devotions.
Source:
Rights: Public domain
Subject (See Also):
Geographic Area:
Century:
Date: ca. 1435 (restored 1932, 1933)
Related Work:
Current Location: Boston, Museum of Fine Arts
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Manuscript illuminations
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Oil; Tempera; Wood
Donor:
Height/Width/Length(cm): 110.8 cm/ 43.6"/137.5 cm/ 54.1"/
Inscription:
Related Resources: Chiyo Ishikawa, “Rogier van der Weyden's "’Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin’ Reexamined,” Journal of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 2 (1990): 49-64.