Virgin and Child with Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Barbara
The Met
Artist: Hans Memling(Netherlandish, Seligenstadt, active by 1465–died 1494 Bruges)
Date: early 1480s
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on wood
Dimensions: Overall 26 7/8 x 28 7/8 in. (68.3 x 73.3 cm); painted surface 26 3/8 x 28 3/8 in. (67 x 72.1 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A central woman holds a child, flanked by winged figures, musicians, and two kneeling women
Detailed Description
A central group of figures is depicted in a lush green landscape under a dark sky. In the center, a seated woman, dressed in a flowing red gown, sits on a dark, ornate throne-like structure with a patterned gold and dark blue fabric canopy behind her. She holds a nude child, who is wrapped in a white cloth around his lower body, on her lap. The child reaches his right hand towards a kneeling woman on the left. To the left of the seated woman, a woman with a gold crown over a white head covering kneels, wearing a white top with red sleeves and a dark gold patterned skirt. Her left hand is extended towards the child. Behind her, a young man in a dark tunic stands, holding a string of beads. Between the kneeling woman and the standing man, a winged figure with large white wings and a blue tunic plays a harp. To the right of the seated woman, another woman kneels, dressed in a bright green gown with a dark cloak draped over her shoulders. She holds an open book in her hands. Behind her, a winged figure with white wings and a red and gold tunic plays a stringed instrument resembling a lyre. In the background, a rolling green landscape features trees, a light-colored building with an arched entrance on the left, and a white and gold domed building on the right. A dark object, possibly a sword or staff, lies on the grass in the foreground, below the kneeling woman on the left.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
