Madonna of the Cherries by Giampietrino
By Stan Parchin
December 25, 2009
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| Giampietrino (Italian, act. 1508-1553). Madonna of the Cherries (ca. 1508-10). Oil on panel. 63.5 x 48.3 cm (25 x 19 in.). Collection of Robert M. Edsel, Dallas. |
Madonna of the Cherries (ca. 1508-10) by Italian Renaissance artist Giampietrino (act. 1508-1553) is a tour de force reflection of a lost Madonna and Child by Leonardo da Vinci (1453-1519). The genius' talented Lombard follower, a painter of religious and mythological scenes, perhaps executed drawings or a full-scale tracing of the work before it was shipped to France's King Louis XII (r. 1483-1515).
Giampietrino's inspired painting owes much to the artistry of Leonardo. Its use of sfumato or a gentle haze to soften the features of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child is characteristic of later compositions by the master.
The devotional image derives its title from the presence of 10 cherries. The infant Jesus holds seven pieces of fruit that represent the sorrows his mother will endure during the Savior's lifetime. Three cherries on a ledge by Mary's left elbow symbolize the nails to be used in her son's crucifixion.
Robert M. Edsel, American businessman, author of Rescuing Da Vinci (2006) and organizer of the Monuments Men Foundation (2007), purchased Madonna of the Cherries from the collection of Rob Smeets in Milan, Italy. The painting is on view in the special exhibition From the Private Collections of Texas: European Art, Ancient to Modern at the Kimbell Art Museum from November 22, 2009 to March 21, 2010.
Source
Brettell, Richard R. and C.D. Dickerson III. From the Private Collections of Texas: European Art, Ancient to Modern (exh. cat.). Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, 2009.