Madonna and Child

Abstract

This stone sculpture of the Madonna and Child is located on the left-hand side of the stairs that descend into the grotto of the Sanctuary of Monte Laureto. The attribution to Stefano da Putignano and his workshop is based on stylistic similarities seen between it and his other statues of the Madonna and Child in Puglia. The composition, particularly the seated position of the Madonna, broad stature, and ample drapery of her robes are all typical of Putignano's style. In this case, the fullness of the body is disproportionate to the size of the Madonna's head. The shape of the Madonna's head is also uncharacteristically soft for Putignano, whose Madonnas are usually given squared jaws. Nevertheless, it bears some similarity to that of his Madonna and Child in the Chiesa Matrice in Turi. The motif of the flying angels crowning the Madonna is also similar to Putignano's Madonna and Child in the Cathedral of Polignano a Mare. Though currently unpainted, except for the dark pupils of the angels' eyes, the work was likely originally at least partly painted, as the eyes of the other figures have been left blank and pupilless. Such paint may not have survived well in the damp atmosphere of this cave church (though the polychromy on the sculpture of the Arcangel Michael in the same church is well-preserved). Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.