Madonna con il Bambino in un roseto
Descrizione opera
The Madonna, with the Child in her arms, sits in an enclosed garden, which is a symbol of her virginity. The hedge is made up of slender, thornless roses, an allusion to purity from original sin. The nudity emphasises Jesus’ human nature, shown with an apple in his hand like a new Adam, while the red carnation his mother holds in her fingers is a foreshadowing of his Passion. A very popular subject in both Flanders and Germany, it may have been part of a small triptych.