Madonna and Child

The Madonna and Child or Madonna with the Christ Child Blessing is a 1509 oil on panel painting by Giovanni Bellini, commissioned by the Mocenigo family and remaining with them until 1815. It is now in the Detroit Institute of Arts. It shows similarities to his 1505 Madonna del Prato (London) and his 1510 Madonna and Child (Milan); all three have a Giorgione-influenced landscape background (here with a shepherd or villager), separated from the figures by a green curtain and with hazy blue mountains in the far background obeying the rules of aerial perspective. The landscape or meadow in the background symbolises the medieval symbol of Mary's virginity, the hortus conclusus. In her left hand Mary holds a book, a symbol of her fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies; on its front cover are the date and the artist's signature.