Relationship theme

Artist: Dieric Bouts

Title: " Virgin and Child"

Date: 1455-1460

Medium: oil on wood

Currently: the metropolitan museum of arts

Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/435762?rpp=30&pg=1&ft=Relationships&pos=1

Description: The women's hair is reddish-orange in color. She is looking into her child's eyes. The child is latched onto his mother, looking her in the eyes. The baby has no clothes on, only a linen cloth around him. 

Analyze: Contrast is shown between the women's clothing and her skin and hair. The clothing is very dark, where as her skin is pale and fair. Emphasis is present in her headband. Her headband is very dark and her skin and hair are bright. The viewers eyes go straight to the mother and child, because it is so bright compared to the background. 

Interpret: Because the child and mother are looking in the direction of each other, you could conclude that they have some kind of a relationship. By the way the mother is holding her child, you can say the relationship they have is close and comforting. 

Judge: This is a well put together painting using negative space, contrast, and emphasis. Bouts used his resources to show the relationship between a mother and child. In this painting, viewers can see the relationship between a mother and her child has not changed with the decade.