Madonna and Child

This standing Christ child, proportioned more like a small man than a baby, confers a sense of formal ritual rather than casual intimacy. Until the late 15th century, Venetian artists were slow to embrace the naturalistic style of their Florentine and Roman counterparts. Bartolomeo Vivarini further adheres to earlier artistic traditions by using a gold background to evoke heaven. The marble ledge separates the painting's figures from the viewer. By suggesting an altar it also recalls Christ's tomb, seen in the lunette above.