MASTER of the Legend of Saint Lucy
(active c. 1480-1510 in Bruges)

Virgin and Child in a Landscape

1480s
Tempera with oil on panel, 40 x 32 cm
The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

Mary nurses the infant Jesus in an enclosed rose garden, a symbol of her virginity. These sacred figures were not intended to be realistic or anatomically correct, but rather to convey a spiritual message emphasizing Mary's chastity and Jesus's humanity. In the landscape behind them are the cathedral and belfry of Bruges. The artist associated with this work is named for another painting in that Flemish town, the Legend of Saint Lucy in Saint Jacob's Church.