The Madonna and Child

The Madonna and Child are inspired by Leonardo's Madonna of the Yarnwinder of 1501. Leonardo's composition is well known through versions owned by the Duke of Buccleuch; and another in an American private collection. Martin Kemp and Thereza Wells have recently identified nearly forty copies of the Madonna of the Yarnwinder by Leonardo da Vinci’s followers. The scholars have linked the present painting to a group of just three panels, all of which include an apple and three cherries in the foreground (loc. cit.). The cherries in this context should be read as symbols of paradise, while the apple references the Tree of Knowledge and the Fall of Man. As Kemp and Wells note, compared to other copies after Leonardo’s design, the paintings in this group display strong links to Leonardo’s composition, not only in the stonework, but also in the Madonna’s headdress, which follows Leonardo’s intricate drapery folds, the translucent veil, as well as the disposition of the Madonna’s clothing. The Madonna's hands, too, show strong connections to Leonardo’s composition, particularly the detail of her left thumb tucked under Christ’s arm as well as the expert foreshortening of her right hand.