Art print (35.6 x 28 cm) featuring The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child by Sandro Botticelli, part of the National Galleries of Scotland collection. Image size 28 x 35.6 cm, including white border, image size 20 x 30 cm
Botticelli's composition, inspired by the work of Filippo Lippi, is unusual in two respects: canvas paintings were still uncommon at this time and the Christ Child was rarely shown asleep. This variation could be interpreted as a reminder of Christ's death.
His future suffering for Mankind may also be symbolised by the detailed plants and fruits. The red strawberries, for example, may refer to Christ's blood. They also complement the beautiful rose bower which forms an 'enclosed garden', a symbol of the Virgin derived from the Old Testament Song of Solomon. The painting was probably designed for a domestic setting.
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, known as Sandro Botticelli (1445 – 17 May 1510), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance.
