Filippo Lippi's Madonna and Child with Two Angels
Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham
The Real and Ideal in Italian Renaissance Art
Italian Renaissance artist Filippo Lippi’s painting of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child supported by two angels (c. 1465) is an image rich in religious and social meaning. In this video, we examine this sumptuous image in depth, exploring how Lippi’s golden-haired figures taught original audiences about the Christian faith and modeled loving motherhood. We also consider the visual effects Lippi achieved with this work, showing how the artist both evoked and transcended visual reality.
Fra Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child with Two Angels, c. 1460–65, tempera on panel. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Photo © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.
Video chapters
0:00 A golden-haired beauty and three precious youths
0:58 Painted by Filippo Lippi
1:03 Meet the Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus Christ
1:25 A popular image type for the renaissance home
1:50 Reminding Christian’s of Christ’s humanity: the Incarnation
2:10 Drawing connections between mother and son
2:48 Jesus is the active player
3:10 Seeing art in the private home
3:30 Clues in the landscape
4:05 What we know about the original viewers
4:15 Connections to other art forms
5:11 Let’s talk about form
5:30 Reality effects: Mathematical space, anatomy, relief
6:22 The realm of the ideal
Learn more
See more of our resources about the Italian Renaissance.
Looking for more AP Art History materials? Look no further.
