Oil painting on wood showing a child in bed
- Made:
- 1801-1900
Oil painting on wood showing a child in bed, and its parents praying to the Madonna del Parto, unknown maker, 1801-1900
Paintings like these are known as an ‘ex votos’, meaning ‘from a vow’ in Latin. Left in a church in gratitude for answered prayers, each tells a story of a cure or delivery from disaster through the intervention of the Virgin Mary or another Christian saint.
The tradition, which continues to this day, is developed from Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman practices of offering gifts to the gods.
Details
- Category:
- Art
- Object Number:
- L2019-012
- Materials:
- wood (unidentified) and oil paint
- Measurements:
-
overall: 230 mm x 320 mm x 10 mm, .2 kg
- type:
- painting