Madonna della Consolazione explained

Madonna della Consolazione
Artist:Perugino
Year:circa 1496—1498
Medium:oil on panel
Height Metric:183
Width Metric:130
Museum:La Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
City:Perugia

Madonna della Consolazione (English: Our Lady of Consolation) is an oil on panel painting by Perugino, datable ca. around 1496–1498. The work, completed in April 1498, was carried out in the Sala delle Udienze of the Collegio del Cambio. Since c. 1820 it is preserved in the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia.

History

The painting of the Mother of God under her title Our Lady of Consolation was accomplished for the Confraternita dei disciplinati di San Francesco in Perugia[1] (lit: the Brotherhood of Disciples of Saint Francis in Perugia).

The figure of the Madonna is stylistically similar to works for which the artist's wife Chiara Fancelli modelled. Behind the Madonna and child are on both sides kneeling members of the brotherhood who wear their typical white cloaks with a badge. Above it are symmetrically arranged two angels in adoration, in the same manner as used for Perugino's San Francesco al Prato Resurrection, Madonna in Glory with Saints, Gonfalone della Giustizia and other works. The deep landscape background with a town in the distance is characteristic of the artist. He used a somewhat similar composition for the Tezi Altarpiece.

With the Napoleonic suppressions the Madonna delle Consolatione was added to the collections of the National Gallery of Umbria.

References

  1. https://siusa.archivi.beniculturali.it/cgi-bin/siusa/pagina.pl?TipoPag=prodente&Chiave=36668&RicDimF=2&RicProgetto=reg%2Dumb Confraternita dei disciplinati di San Francesco in Perugia

Bibliography