Object Image

The Madonna of the Yarnwinder

An unusually large Christ Child is seated on a rocky outcrop beside his mother, gazing intently at a cross-shaped yarnwinder as if already aware of his future crucifixion. The Virgin's tender expression and hesitant gesture reinforce the poignancy of the scene. This panel is probably identical with one described in a letter of 1501 sent to Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua, from her agent in Florence. This states that Leonardo was painting it for Florimond Robertet, a French minister and diplomat who had close ties to Italy. Leonardo was notorious for failing to complete works, and it is unlikely that' the painting was ever actually delivered to Robertet. Scholars disagree about the extent...
About 1501
Oil on panel
62.0 x 44.0cm
NGL 002.08
Image © Reproduced courtesy of the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, 2024
Text © National Galleries of Scotland, 2024