Madonna Lactans
14th century
Detached Fresco
Basilica of St. Ambrose, Milan
It is more common for the Virgin Mary to be pictured in a red robe and blue mantle, but the reversal of the colors is not unusual. The stars on the mantle follow a long tradition.
The figures and the throne are illuminated as if from the left, so that the dark area to the right of Mary's left foot seems to be a shadow, which would be quite unusual in a 14th-century Madonna.
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See our illustrated comments on Madonna Lactans portraits.
Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.