Virgin and Child with Four Angels by Gerard David

Virgin and Child with Four Angels by Gerard David

The Virgin and Child with Four Angels was painted by Gerard David in about

1510, right in the middle of the Renaissance. The painting is rectangular in shape and

appears to be about two feet long by maybe a foot and a half wide. It is oil painted on

wood and it looks to be in very good condition. The painting is an image, as its title

suggests, of the Virgin with the infant baby Jesus. This, of course, was a very common

subject during the renaissance and for years before and after it. There are countless

paintings of the Virgin and Child from that time period, probably because of the power

and influence of the church at the time. People were much more involved in the church

and, therefore, the subjects they painted or requested to be painted were typically

religious themes. Many also felt that by commemorating such religious figures it might

even help them gain a spot in heaven. In any case, in this particular version of the Virgin and Child there are also four angels in the scene - two who are flying above the Virgin holding a crown over her heard, and two who are sitting on either side of her playing instruments. Beyond her there is a large archway that opens into a landscape with a view of some grass and trees, some architecture, and some mountains in the far distance. The virgin is wearing a red garb and the baby Jesus is barely draped in some white cloth.

That, of course, is a basic description at a quick glance. In examining the painting further, it becomes obvious that this is prime example of Renaissance painting. To begin with, the composition is completely balanced, almost symmetrical. The four angels are placed evenly around the Virgin, with two on each side. On one side an angel plays a harp and is balanced by an angel on the other side, strumming some type of guitar. The two flying above Mary are basically in the same position. Even the church in the background seems to be matched with a mountain in the distance. The columns and archway that border the painting are, in fact, completely symmetrical. And the Virgin and Child are in the center. It is, again, a beautifully balanced composition, typical of the Renaissance. The composition is also completely filled, but not overcrowded. Even with the flying angels, the painting appears rational; ...

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...ead, which can also be seen on the wings of both of the angels holding it. Then again, that goldish hugh is seen in the instruments that then angels on both sides of Mary are playing. Blues and greens are used in a balanced manner throughout as well. On one side, the angel playing the harp is dressed in a light blue that is similar to the blue of the sky. The other angel is dressed in green, like the greens used in the trees and grass of the landscape beyond. The way these colors are painted, too, is very much in the style of the Renaissance. There is no visible brushstroke whatsoever. The entire painting is smooth, almost as if it wasn't really painted. This, too, adds to the realistic effect of the painting.

The influence of the Italian Renaissance can clearly be seen in this painting by

Gerard David. The composition is balanced; illusionism through perspective creates a

recession in space; detailed modeling and shading make the painting appear realistic and

human; vibrant colors are spread throughout; and a smooth, brushless texture adds to that realistic appearance. This work demonstrates the beauty and detail that was brought to if during the Renaissance.