Madonna and Child with Angels

Bambaia preferred small-scale works in which he was able to combine his subtle technique with the demands of a largely humanist clientele. This small marble relief is divided into the more stylistically advanced group of the Madonna and child and the old-fashioned groups of angels arranged in two tiers. The classicizing style of the former was probably executed by Bambaia while the angels were surely executed by another artist, probably belonging to his workshop.

The seated figure of the Madonna is wearing a long dress and sandals all’antica. Her soft calm features and her hairstyle also betray the use of classical sources. The small nude boy is standing in front of his mother. The classical tendency toward a calm and centralized representation is, however, interrupted by the lively movements of mother and child, creating an artistic tension.