Filippo Lippi's Madonna and Child with Two Angels

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.

Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham

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

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Core Standards

National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts)

  • VA:Re7.2 (Grades 5–12): Analyze how art reflects changing times, traditions, resources, and cultural uses.

  • VA:Re8.1: Interpret an artwork by analyzing subject matter, symbolism, and cultural context.

  • VA:Re9.1: Evaluate an artwork based on historical context, formal qualities, and meaning.

  • VA:Cn11.1: Relate artistic ideas and works to societal, cultural, and historical contexts.

C3 Framework for Social Studies:

  • D2.His.2.6–8: Classify series of historical events and developments as examples of continuity and change.

  • D2.His.4.9–12: Analyze complex factors that shaped perspectives of people in the past.

  • D2.Civ.2.6–12: Explain how cultural and religious traditions influenced governance and social order.

AP Art History

  • Content Area 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas (200–1750 CE).

    • Learning Objective: Analyze Renaissance works of art in relation to humanism, religion, and naturalism.