Altarpiece: The Virgin and Child with Saints
- Artist: Benvenuto di Giovanni
- Date: 1479
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the Altarpiece: The Virgin and Child with Saints painted in Sienese style by Benvenuto di Giovanni. It was created in 1479, possibly for a church in Orvieto. At its centre, we find the Virgin Mary seated on an inlaid throne with the infant Christ on her knee, surrounded by saints in the side panels.
The figures are set against burnished and tooled gold backgrounds, and all are dressed in accordance with the Sienese passion for jewels and textiles. But what's really striking is that despite their elaborate clothes, they look convincingly solid underneath – a hallmark of Sienese art.
Notice how Benvenuto has brought together naturalism and perspective with a love of lavish materials and decorative detail. The precise dresses and materials used were sometimes stipulated in artists' contracts, giving us an insight into the level of attention to detail that went into creating this work.
See it in person
Altarpiece: The Virgin and Child with Saints hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
